The Black Widow
by Steve'sGirl0829
Summary: Hunger Games AU:Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers are reaped among 22 other kids to fight to death in a arena. They seek comfort and find love in each other. Only Romanoff is not aware of how special she really is to the secret rebellion stirring in the dark grounds of district 13. PREVIOUSLY NAMED: Someone To Die For.
1. Chapter 1

From the Treaty of the Treason. In penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping.

These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol, and then transferred to a public arena where they will Fight to Death, until a lone victor remains.

Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.

**Natasha's P.O.V**

"AHHHH!"

I run inside the room containing my screaming brother as he tries to wake himself from current nightmare. He tosses and turns desperately searching for something to help ground him.

On instinct I run over to the bed, climb on top and straddle his legs. Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I shake softly whispering soothingly, "Aiden.. Aiden! Baby wake up." There's a brief pause before Aiden uprights quickly, shirt clinging to his body with sweat and his chest heaving with labored breathes. My hand flies to his head as I lean it on my chest and, slowly, I feel his heartbeat start to go down. He looks up at me in fear and clutches to me as I hold him tighter. "Ssh its okay, it's okay. You were dreaming. It was only a dream."

He shakes his head harshly holding onto me tighter as tears stain my shirt. "No," he whispers softly looking up at me through the strands of my curly, red hair. "It was me." He sobs, "It was me! They picked me and I-"

I place a finger on his lips, softly shushing him. "It's not going to be you. It's not. There are thousands of slips in that bowl, you only have one. They aren't gonna pick you." Kissing his forehead, I rock us back and forth on the small cot we share. Slowly his sobs subside into sniffles and he wipes his face clear of tears. "There, ssh, everyone's okay for now. Try to go back to sleep. Get some rest before we have to go." He shakes his head whispering softly that he can't. "Yes you can… just try. Try." I lay him back down on the bed laying myself beside him holding him to my chest. He stares up at my face and I smile softly down at him.

Aiden gives me a tiny smile and touches my cheek, "Natasha," I hum softly, brushing his red hair out of his face and wiping the sweat and tears away. "H-How are... How are you feeling? About today?" I stare down at him for what seems like forever and turn my attention away from him to the window outside where the snow has barely started sticking to the ground. "Natasha?" He asks quietly and I hear the sleepiness in his voice telling me he's about to go to sleep.

I smile at him and kiss his forehead. I won't lie to him. I never do. I will do anything to protect my little brother. He turned 12 a month ago which was the hardest birthday him and I could celebrate and it hasn't been easy on either of us. "I'm fine as long as I know you're out of danger and safe with me." He smiles up at me before his eyes close and soon the only noise in the room is of his breathing. When I'm certain he's asleep, I get out of bed noiselessly and quickly. Brayden is mostly likely waiting for me so we can start hunting before the reaping.

I walk out of the room and down the stairs where I know I'm going to find my mother sitting in that same chair in the kitchen staring at nothing, doing nothing… saying nothing.

I hate her. I know for a fact that I hate my mother. She has done absolutely nothing since my father died. She let Aiden and I starve for the first couple of month after our money was gone. We were on the brink of starvation when I was determined to not let my brother and I get killed because of her. She was selfish, horrible and I wish I was never her daughter. I understand she loved my father, but I loved him too! Aiden and I loved our dad and she doesn't think his death affected us!

I learned a little bit of hunting from my father and when he died I took over being the head of the family. I made sure Aiden and I were presentable when we appeared in public, I fed my mother and my brother when I brought home game and I became his mother.

The first time I think I ever saw my mother again after my father's death was when I brought home my first killed rabbit. She seemed to snap out of her trance when I entered home. Before I could do anything, she took the rabbit from me, cleaned it, gutted it and started cooking it. But it didn't last long. Halfway through dinner she claimed she had a huge headache and went back to the way she was before I came home. Aiden forgave her immediately, but I still have a wall barrier between us. To protect me from getting hurt by her again. I try very hard to not need her and I know I'll never need her again. I've got Aiden and that's all I need.

I walk to the door, grab my leather jacket, my father's game bag and leave without a word. Our part of district 12, nicknamed Seam, is usually crawling with coal miners heading out to the morning shift at this hour. Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, many who have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails, the lines of their sunken faces usually walk the streets of seam heading home from work or going to work. But today the black cinder streets are empty. Shutters on the squat gray houses are closed. The reaping isn't until two. Might as well sleep in, if many can.

Our house is at the edge of Seam. I only have to pass a few gates to reach the scraggy field called the Meadow. Separating the Meadow from the woods is a high chain linked fence topped with a barbed wire looks. It's suppose to be electrified 24 hours in order to keep predators that live in the woods- wild dogs, bears, tigers- away from the streets of district 12. But considering we only get 3 hours of electricity a day it's safe to touch; only of course every time I reach it I always stop and take a moment to listen for a hum. The hum indicating that the fence is alive.

When I'm assured I won't get fried I flatten out my belly and slide under a two foot stretch that's been loose for years. There are various weak spots, but this one is closer to home in case I have to make a run from animals or peacekeepers.

As soon as I'm concealed by trees and bushes I retrieve my many knifes, ropes, and guns from a hollow log I always stash them in at the end of my hunting day. Standing up straight I take a deep breathing of clean fresh air and let the sound of animals surround me. My eyes fall shut instinctively.

My father taught me how to find food inside the woods, roots, greens, even taught me how to kill and gut animals. I tried to learn as much as possible so I can be like him, but that was before he was blown to bits in a mine explosion. There wasn't anything to bury once it happened, and even though I was 11 at the time, I still find myself waking up screaming for him to run.

Trespassing in the woods is illegal and poaching carries the severest of penalties and more people would risk it if they had a weapon. But most are not bold enough to venture out with just a knife, like me. I've become very skilled with my knives, guns and ropes ever since my father first took me hunting.

I open my eyes and follow the path leading the way to where I know I will find Brayden. Once I make it to my destination my assumption was correct when I see my best friend and hunting partner.

I can feel the muscles in my face relaxing, my pace quickening as I climb the hills to our place; the rock ledge that overlooks the valley. The sight of him waiting there brings a smile to my face. Brayden says I never smile except in the woods, but there is no other reason to smile back in district 12. He looks over at me and waves at me with one hand as I see the other taking a dead beaver from one of his many snares. Brayden is something of a whiz with snares, rigging them to bend saplings so they pull the kill out of the predator's reach, balancing logs on delicate stick triggers, weaving inescapable baskets to capture fish. I know I can never quite replicate his eye for balance, his instinct for where the pray will cross the path. It's more than experience, it's a natural gift. Like the way I can shoot at an animal in almost completely darkness with my guns or throw my knives at them and still take it down.

"Hey, 'Tasha." He greets resetting the snare and handing me the beaver. "Look what I shot!" He almost sings reaching in his bag and bringing out a bread roll with an arrow stuck in it. I hold in a laugh and take it in my hands pulling out the arrow. I hold the bread to my nose and inhale the fragrance that makes my mouth water with saliva. Fine bread like this is for special occasions. I break it in half and hand Brayden his half.

I groan softly, "Mm, still warm." He must have been at the bakery at the crack of dawn to trade for it. "What did it cost you?" I ask sitting down on the ground taking a bite of my half. Brayden sits next to me and leans against his bag as I lean against mine.

"A chipmuck. Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning." He replies taking a bite of his. "He even wished me luck." I roll my eyes throwing a rock in the canyon before us.

"Well don't we all feel closer today?" I say sarcastically. I fall into the Capitol accent as I mimics Effie Trinket, the manically upbeat women who arrives once a year to read out the names at the reaping. "I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" I pluck a few blackberries from the bushes around us. "And may the odds-" I toss them in the air in a high arc towards him.

He catches them in his mouth and breaks the delicate skin with his teeth. "-Be _ever_ in your favor!" He finishes with equal verse. Brayden and I have to joke about it because it's better than being scared out of our wits. Also because the Capitol accents are so ridiculous, anything sounds funny in it.

The day is glorious, with a blue sky and a soft breeze. The food's wonderful, with the warm delicious bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. Everything would be perfect if this was really a holiday. If all the day off meant romancing the mountains with Brayden, hunting for tonight' dinner, but instead we have to be standing in the square at two o'clock waiting for the names to be called out. "What do you want to do?" I ask trying to get away from the thought of being chosen or Aiden being chosen.

"Let's fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and weapons in the woods. Get something nice for tonight." He says.

Tonight.

After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been sparred for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.

Nearing noon I say we make out well. The predators ignore us on a day when easier, tastier prey abounds. By late morning, we have a dozen fish, a bag of greens and a gallon of strawberries. After trading in the square, we make out even better and Brayden and I divide our spoils, leaving two fish and a couple of loaves of good bread, greens, a quart of strawberries, salt and paraffin and a bit of money for each. I give Brayden a quick hug and turn to leave.

"See you in the square." I say before walking, and Brayden's voice reaches me when he turns to leave.

"Wear something pretty." He says flatly.

At home I find my mother and brother are ready to go. Aiden in one of my father's old suits from his youth… I can see my mom did some alterations on it seeing it's a little big on him and part of his shirt is sticking out of his pants in back. I walk up the stairs after giving Aiden a tight hug for reassurance and giving my mother the game I got.

Once I'm clean from my bath, and dressed I'm actually pretty shocked my mother allowed me to wear one of her fancy dresses from when she was young. It's no secret about how my parents got together; a pretty, rich merchant giving up her easy life in the town to marry my father the poor coal miner. She was disowned by her family and had no money, but she didn't care. She loved my father that much. She only had a few things from her youth; a couple of dresses, a hair pin and a portrait of her family. She had more, but when we were desperate we sold everything we could bare to part with to get a little money for food. That's all she has left from her childhood and now she's allowed me to wear one of her precious articles of clothing for this year's reaping.

Carefully, I slip the dress over my wet body and allow my mother to do my hair. Once my hair was done, I turn to look at myself in the full length mirror. I look nothing like myself. My red hair usually left hanging down or pulled in a messy ponytail is now in a fancy French braid my mother usually does for such occasions. I hear my door open and see Aiden slowly making his way inside. I turn around and open my arms for him to give me a hug. I know these next few hours are going to be tough for him, and I need him to know I'll be there to protect him. I won't let him get hurt. I kiss his forehead and that's when we both hear the whistle signaling us that we have to get going. Aiden freezes under my arms and I hold him tighter kneeling in front of him. I grip his shoulder and give him a tiny smile as I see tears escape. I kiss them away and reach inside my trunk holding my most valuable possessions that I don't allow anyone to see.

Aiden is an exception.

I rummage around for a while until my hand touches what I was looking for. I pull out my dad's old ring. He gave this to me months before the mine accident. He said it was to protect me, and my family. He said it was used to show that he'll always be here with me and that he'll always be there to love us. I hold it out to him and Aiden immediately recognizes what it is.

"Dad's old pin." He whispers amazed as he reaches out to touch it, but hesitates at last minute. I smile and place it in his hand closing his hand around it. "But… But it's yours." I shake my head, take it from his hand and put it on one of his finger.

"Now it's yours. Do you remember what dad said this ring would do?" Aiden nods his head and answers before I can tell him.

"This ring will help me get through anything. It will protect me and it also shows that daddy will be with me wherever I go. Also that he loves us." I nod my head.

"Exactly. This is yours now. As long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you. Okay? I promise." He looks up at me and pulls me in a tight hug. Our hug only last for a few minutes before the next ring blows out. I pull away, stand up and tuck Aiden to my side as we walk downstairs to meet with our mother who waits at the front door. It's one o'clock and we head for the square. Attendance is mandatory unless you are on the death's door. On such occasions, the officials will come around and check to see if this is the case. If not you'll be imprisoned.

People file in silently and sign in. The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population as well. Twelve through eighteen year olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, the youngest- like Aiden- in the back. I find myself standing in a clump of sixteen year olds from the Seam. We all exchange terse nods then focus our attention on the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. The stage holds 3 chairs, and two large glass balls, one for boys, and one for girls. I stare at the paper slips in the girl's ball. 20 of them have Natasha Romanoff written on them in careful handwriting.

Just as the clock strikes two Effie Trinket steps up to the podium with the same stupid smile on her face and the fake amusement of being the district 12. Everyone in the districts knows she is doing it just to be bumped up to a 'better district' as they put it. The new recruits always get end up with district 12. Effie has been our escort for as many years as I can remember and she's desperate to get to a new district.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor. Now before we begin we have a very special film. Brought to you all the way from the Capitol." She gestures to the large screen on our right that suddenly turns on and the familiar voice of Snow- the president of the Capitol- starts speaking with pictures flying across the screen.

"War… terrible war. Widows, orphans, and motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. 13 districts were built against the country that feed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought sorely won. People rose up from the ashes and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost when the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that year the various distracts of Panem would off up in tribute 1 young man and women to fight to the death. In a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victors, bathed in riches would serve as a reminded of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we save guard our future." When the video finishes the mayor steps up and begins to read. It's the same story they tell every year, except this time they converted it into a video. It just tells the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America. He lists disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, the brutal war for what little sustenance remained. Basically what we just watched. Through the crowd I spot Brayden looking back at me with a ghost of a smile. As reaping go, this one at least has a slight entertainment factor. But suddenly I am thinking of Brayden and his forty two names in that big glass ball and how the odds are not in his favor. Not compared to the lot of boys and maybe he's thinking the same about me because his face darkens and he turns away. I want to tell him, 'But there are thousands of slips in there' only I cant.

I hear the mayor start naming off the rules of the game but they are very simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy called tributes to participate. The twenty four will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could anything from burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins. Taking kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch- this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use the real message is clear. "Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen."

Soon it's time for drawing.

Effie says as she always does. "Ladies first!" and crosses to the glass ball with the girl's names. She reaches in and digs her hand deep into the ball and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd draws in a collective breath and then you can hear pin drop. I'm feeling nauseous. Effie crosses back to the podium, unfolds the slip of paper and reads out the name in a clear voice.

"Natasha Romanoff."


	2. Chapter 2

_**From the Treat of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping.**_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody fo the Capitol and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death, until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

Chapter 2

I find myself being walked to the stage with two peacekeepers behind me prodding me with guns. I have no choice, but to move forward and mount the stairs. Never mess with a peacekeeper, especially when reaped from the ball.

Reaching the stairs I take a look at the audience watching me, watching me walk to my death. Effie walks over to the stairs and extends a hand, although I don't take it. I walk past her without a glance in her direction and walk directly to my spot next to the ball filled with girl's names. Effie is unfazed by my attitude, she just only smiles at me. I don't return the smile, I end up starring down at the faces of my family, friends, and the people of Seam. I feel my eyes watering up and my breathing increases. Clear warning signs that I'm about to cry.

I cant cry! I look around the audience until it lands on the parent's rope-off section where I see my mother. I meet eyes with her. My mother stares up at me with tears threatening to spill and she clutches another hand. With the sun dancing across my eyes I'm not sure who it is at first, but once I cover my eyes I see it's Brayden's mother who, by the looks of it, is days away from giving birth. She's whispering comforting things into my mother's ear that seems to calm her down, but doesn't stop the tears. It's all I can do to hold in mine.

I set my mouth in a hard line and turn my hands into tightly closed fists at my side. Turning my attention away from my mother I try searching for my brother or Brayden to at least hold my sanity together. I won't cry. I refused to show weakness. It will only make me an easy target for when the games begin.

"Wonderful! Now for the boys," Effie crosses to the boy's ball and reaches her hand in there digging deep inside. I frantically look through the boy's crowd hoping to hold their gaze for as long as I can praying it won't be one of the two. By the time Effie has pulled out the slip of paper I find my brother with tears streaming down his face. Aiden was never one to be strong, it was always me that helped him through everything. Now I won't be able to. He needs to know how much I love him and that he is going to be okay. Brayden will be sure of it. My eyes met with Brayden and I take a deep breath before Effie has just called it, the boy's name.

It's not Brayden.

"Aiden Romanoff."

As soon as the name is spoken I feel as if I have fallen from a 10 foot tree, the impact knocking every wisp of air from my lungs. My eyes widen and I would have felt myself start falling, except I catch myself before my legs completely give out. I take a deep breath now realizing that I was falling from the lack of oxygen my lungs were getting.

I remember a time in the woods. I was hunting with Brayden by my side and he left, for a split second, to check his snares he set from the day before. I sat there waiting for him to come back, throwing peanuts into a tree truck catching it when it falls back down. I heard a growl from my right and immediately got my weapon ready in place. My eyes catch a glimpse of brown furry hair before it jumps out at me revealing a bear. I nock my arrow and let it fly, finding the bear's heart. The bear falls on top of me dead, knocking every wind of air I had inside me. I lay there struggling to inhale, to exhale and to push the heavy bear off of me. That's how I feel at this moment. Trying to remember how to breathe and watching with horror in my eyes as my brother starts making his way out of the boy's crowd. I hear everyone in the square begin to murmur quietly amongst themselves. Someone, I don't know who, lets out a pained cry. I would too if I were witnessing this. Two siblings going to into the arena together with only one survivor. I find myself gasping for air and see my mother take a step forward towards Aiden when seeing him start to move. She can't do anything. I can't do anything to prevent this. Brayden can, but I can't ask him to die so Aiden can live. But I have to do something! I promised I would protect him!

His face is fully drained of color and he's about to pass out. I take a step forward only to be pushed back by a peacekeeper watching my every move. Effie is ecstatic and I'm pretty sure everyone in the Capitol who is currently watching the reaping is jumping in happiness. A brother and sister in the same games competing against each other and resulting to kill your own blood so the other can survive. It's rare when this happens, but every chance they get they'll take it. Just to make the games more interesting and see how strong the brother and sister relationship is. Now I'm truly endangerment of tears.

"No," I whisper trying to make my wiping of my tears not noticeable.

Effie starts laughing happily then leans to the side. "I bet my hat that is your brother, isn't it?" I look over at Diamond. Capitol people are such idiots and dense. Cold blooded, I want to slap her across the face, but I know if I do that I can guarantee that the cannons used to represent a tribute death one will have my name on it. Aiden is halfway to the stairs when I hear someone in the boy section shout,

"I volunteer… I volunteer as tribute!"

My eyes widen and my head snaps towards the boy section eyes full of hope. Maybe he can get out of this. Aiden won't have to be a part of the games, he can be spared!

"Who said that?" Diamond asks suddenly looking around, her voice in anticipation and excitement. Although you can easily identify the disappointment in her voice.

I found him soon after. Holy shit! I know him! Aiden turns around and his gaze immediately lands on the boy with his hand up. Well not really boy, more like a man.

I know him.

I've never spoken to him, except to make small pleasantry and greet and bid him goodbye at school, but there was that one time… the one time where we met eyes and he saved mine, Aiden's and my mother's life. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay and probably will never be able to repay… Our first interaction was years ago, but he's probably forgotten, but I didn't and I probably never will.

_It was a couple months after the mine accident, the one that killed my father. Our money had fully run out and we were beginning to starve. The districts gave us money to compensate for the death of my father and enough for us to last until my mother got up to find a job. Only my mother never did find a job and the money soon ran out._

_It had been a week and all Aiden and I have eaten were mint leaves I found in the back of the cupboard and boiled water. It was raining and I was outside trying to sell a few of my mother's, mine and Aiden's possessions for a little bit of money to last us longer. 'If I can last till May 8__th__, just May 8__th__. I would turn 12 and I can sign up for tesserae and get the precious grain and oil to feed us.' _

_There was no takers when the market closed. It was freezing and I was soaked to the bone, my father's hunting jacket clinging to my body because of the water. 'I cant go home. Home held my 7 year old brother with his hollow cheeks and cracked lips and my mother with her dead eyes.'_

_I drag myself towards the direction of my house seeing I have no choice, but to go home. There is no other place I can go or I'm wanted. Only when I pass by the bakery, the delicate and delicious smell of bread hits me in the face knocking me off my weak legs. _

_I drop the items in my hands and land on my hands and knees watching the owner of the shop open an oven full of golden crushed warm soft bread. I feel my mouth water when I take in a whiff and I'm left trembling with hunger. I want to get up, but I find no strength to. I stay where I am, my eyes on the bread inside watching the baker cut, butter and wrap it. The baker leaves a few minutes later, but someone else takes his place. A younger boy, probably 13. 14 at the most. _

_He's pretty cut, his blonde hair gelled to the side, his broad shoulders being careful not to bump anything as he carries a pan of uncooked bread. I've seen him at school, all the girls swoon over him and he is the hunk of the school. I would be one of those girls too, but what's the point of having a crush if I'm not going to marry or have kids. I won't have a husband when I'm older, and I definitely won't bring a child into this world just so their names will go in the reaping ball and they will be forced to play in the Hunger Games if they got reaped. Plus it will only hurt the one I love and I in the future so it's best if I stay neutral. But with him walking around my school, it's going to be very difficult. Especially if he does so many nice things for me when I least except them. Like opening the door, picking up my books if they fall, carrying them if they are too much for me, waking up in class to him nudging me and telling me an answer I'm getting asked, and when he greets every morning and bids me goodbye at the end of the day. I try to keep my distance, but when I do, I find myself wanting to be in his presence. Wanting him to do nice stuff for me and acknowledging that I'm with him. I also know I sometimes do silly stuff because I want him to notice me. _

_I have to admit that he is very attractive, I've never seen anyone like him. He looks like a man on the outside, but is a child on the inside, his hair giving him a boyish look to his manly features. He's an exact replica of his father, nothing like his mother. But I bet he has something of her as well, or one of his brothers does. He has about 4 brothers, 2 older and 2 younger, one of them surely has to have his mother's features, but he's all his dad. _

_I find myself staring at him, not cause of the bread, but because of the sorrow in his eyes. I'm taken back because I'm not used to seeing him so sad, he's always so happy and so full of life. His laugh is contagious and when he smiles at me, I feel myself smile willingly. Brayden says I never smile, except in the woods, but he's never seen me at school when I'm near him. I don't know his name, I'm not very observant, but I do know that all my classes are with him. (So I can't really avoid him if I tried) _

_I've never been good at remembering names or birthdays, so I try not to remember names. Brayden is a year older then I am, so our lunch don't correspond in the same time and neither do any of our classes, so I eat by myself at lunch my eyes glancing over at where he sits with his friends laughing and smiling._

_Only now his eyes portray sadness, it makes him look like a kicked puppy that is too cute to punish. I wonder what happened to him. _

_I bite my bottom lip and debate about entering the bakery to find out what's wrong, but I'm too weak to move from my spot. I have no motive to move me. Maybe I could try. Finding out his name and how I can help him is a good motive. Right?_

_From my spot, I stand weakly and take a few steps closer to the door only to fall back on my knees in the mud beneath me. I can't do it._

_I'm too weak and too hungry to enter a place filled with delicious pastries. When I land in the mud it makes a splashing sound making his head turn. Our eyes make contact, I want to look away, but I can't will myself to divert my eyes somewhere else that doesn't have his beautiful, sea blue eyes. His eyebrows crease as if asking a question without his lips moving. This time I really do divert my eyes looking down at my shaking hands in embarrassment. I hear footsteps and I look to see him starting to come towards me, but then a women exits the bakery, probably his mother. It's obvious by first sight that she's angry. She asks why the bread isn't in the oven yet. The boy looks over at her, then his eyes go back to me where I am. She laughs at the two of us and tells him to leave me alone. To let me die out in the rain, that I'm not worth his time. Normally I would've been highly offended, but I'm too weak to feel anything except hungry. I can tell he wants to walk towards me, but I get up from my spot and run out of his sight. I run behind a nearby tree, a good distance away from the shop. I stay there watching the boy sigh and cross to the oven placing the bread inside._

_I'm no cook, but I know the bread inside is dangerously close to the fire. His mother smirks and walks back through the back door she came from with a smug look on her face, her eyes tracing outside. Probably trying to find me and laugh in my face. I know this boy wouldn't have done that if his mother hadn't of entered the room. He was too sweet and well-mannered to just leave me out here. He would've come, but I've seen how his mother acts towards him. She's horrible and beats him senseless and I'd rather him be saved from another beating then come help me. He doesn't deserve to be beat for trying to help someone, especially someone as pathetic and weak as me. The boy walks over to the door once the oven door is closed and his eyes survey the area, looking for me. I stay hidden behind the tree, hoping to not get his attention crossing my fingers that he wouldn't notice me. He would get in trouble if he tried to help me. I keep watching him until he moves away to start sweeping and moping the floors of the bakery waiting down the minutes until he takes out the bread._

_It feels like forever, but a good amount of time has passed until his mother reenters the room and goes over to the oven. She slightly ajar it and I'm staring in shock at the black smoke that rises unexpectedly in her face. She shuts the door and turns the nozzle until the oven is completely off. I take a whiff of the delicious smell that I know will waft my way, but a burning smell fills my nostrils instead leaving tears in my eyes. I know, without even looking, he burnt the bread. I watch his mother with intense eyes biting my lip nervously._

_Her head immediately snaps towards her son, her fact contorting into anger, and displeasure. Without warning she starts yelling, and I may be a good 2 yards away to the side, but I'm still about to identify every colorful word she uses towards her son. She's scream at him, cursing him out. My eyes widen and I let out a loud gasp when I see her hand slap him hard across the face. I crawl backwards on all four a couple more inches away, shocked by the scene in front of me. I watch him fall to the floor grabbing his cheek and his mother's left leg raises back kicking him in the stomach. Tears well up in my eyes immediately… she's not just hitting him for a small lecture, she's abusing him. _

_My parents would never hit Aiden and I, even if what we did was wrong. We'd just get a small spank and a lecture. Never a full red mark slap or a kick in the stomach. Steve really doesn't show others the life he's been living in for 13 years. He hides his feelings and injures to keep himself safe from the orphanage. I feel like a thousand miles away from my body at this point just watching Steve get beat. This goes on for a couple of minutes until she spits at him to go get the bread. I watch the boy quickly get up from the floor and scurry to the oven with the burnt loaves of bread. He limps outside to the front porch staying under the umbrella and his mother pursuits after him still shouting. "You stupid idiot! What the hell!? That was good bread that you just burnt asshole! There are people starving and look at what you're doing?! You'd be lucky if you don't go to hell when you die. That would mean God actually felt sorry for your ass." She hits him one more time on the back of the head open handed and points to the trash cans that sit a couple inches away from me. "Throw them away you stupid creature! No one decent will buy burnt bread!"_

'_I would' I think desperately, the gnawing in my stomach unavoidable. 'I would buy the bread if I had money.'_

_The bell in the bakery rings and just before his mother walks inside she points an accusing finger at him. "I'm not finished with you just yet. You'll be in for a hell of a lot more once I've find out the other bad stuff you've doing." _

_I see tears running down his face and he turns to wince back to his mother covering his face with the pan in case she struck again. "But mama I didn't do anything!" _

"_Maybe not… but you will." She glares at him before walking inside the shop with a fake smile I know she uses for customers. I watch as the boy steps down the few steps to the ground and makes his way to the trash can, my eyes falling his every move. Because of the bread and because of the cuts, gashes and blood dripping down his body due to the rain. He walks with a limp as of now and I'm worried about what will happen when he goes to meet back with his mother. Before he gets halfway to the trash can he turns his head and changes direction, hiding towards… me! _

_My eyes widen and I'm about to walk away when he throws the bread in my direction. Not just one, but all three! I stare at the ground for a few seconds before looking up and seeing the boy already walking back to the bakery. He doesn't glance my way once. He walks into the bakery closing the door on his way in. _

_Were these meant for me? Did he mean for me to have them? I stare in disbelief as I stare at the three perfect loaves of bread in front of me. I bend down and rip apart the bread that, surprisingly, comes apart easily. Inside was pure soft rich bread that my family would've never be able to afford. The bread weren't as burnt as his mother thought, only the outside had damage, I could easily just scrap the outside off. I glance around and before anyone could notice shove them inside the leather jacket against my skin. The steam of the hot bread pushes against my skin causing sweat to pour down my already wet face and the heat of the bread to burn against the visible skin it touches, but I don't dare let go. I cling to it… to life._

After that incident we never spoken again. I found out, days later his name was Steven Rogers, but I never had a chance to talk to him after finding out his name. He stopped greeting and bidding me goodbye during the day. If I was struggling with my stuff he would pretend not to notice, when I tried to catch his attention in class or lunch he would look away and ignore me. I wanted to thank him for what happened that night, but it seems he just wants to forget about it. I wouldn't be surprised, I wonder what his mother did to him. It looks like the injuries from when I saw after his beating were gone, but only a few stayed. His limp was noticeable and he claimed that he twisted it during a game of basketball. And his cuts and bruises were apparently from him falling onto the ground and scrapping his skin against the rough concrete. Likely story, but I'm the only one who knows the truth of his life.

I watch as he walks out of the crowd and over to Aiden. He's an exact replica of when he was younger, except he was taller and his body was more toned. Way taller, probably 6'2 and his body was a stocky build, but his usually calm and mild blue eyes are hard and show determination in them. Steve bends down in front of Aiden and, even though I can't hear him, I know he's telling him to go back to my mother. But Aiden reaches out to me calling my name,

"Natasha! Natasha!" Peacekeepers come to grab him, but Steve pushes them off of him. Aiden starts to sob harder and I see him start struggling to take off the ring I gave him. My eyes widen and I want to shake my head and tell him no, but I remain silent. He hands it to Steve once it's off his finger and he whispers in his ear something before I see Brayden come behind Aiden and hoists him up on his shoulder. He says something to Steve and ignores the screeching Aiden trying to get down. Steve starts walking towards the stairs putting the ring in his pants pocket. What did Aiden tell him to do with the ring? He surely couldn't have told him to have it! Because it's mine… it's Aidens! It was my father! Only it's still mine and I will get it back.

When he stands on the other side of Diamond, she smiles at him and asks. "What's your name?" She's giddy with excitement.

He keeps his face blank, even his voice, not even a sense of fear behind his voice. I bet if I speak my voice will betray me. He stares out into the audience and answers, in a strong clear voice that makes all the girls sigh and start weeping. "Steve Rogers." This is the first time I've heard his voice, even though it's not directed at me, in years. I'm taken back by the intensity of his voice and the anger behind his blank eyes. Just by the look of him, I believe with just the right help and push Steve might actually have a chance to win the Hunger Games. If the career pack, district 1 2 and 4, doesn't ambush him. District 12 might actually have a winner.

I resist the urge to ask him why. No one stands up to die just to save someone he doesn't even know. Does he remember that night years ago? Maybe he does remember that night. Can it be possible? It was 5 years ago.

All my thoughts clear when a peacekeeper grabs my arm and I'm shoved towards the doors of the Justice Building. Then I hear on one of their radios 'Take them directly to the train.' My eyes widen.

What!? This is NOT normal! I'm supposed to say goodbye to my family. They are supposed to give me time! AIDEN!

I start to fight back. "I get to say goodbye!" I scream at the peacekeeper pushing me. He shoves me again harshly replying,

"New plan, straight to the train." I try to wrench myself form his grasp, but one look from Steve beside me, I stop. I know better than to fight with a peacekeeper, but I can't help it. I have to say goodbye to my little brother, who I hear calling out to me, my mother and Brayden!

Just as the Justice Building's door start closing I turn around in their arms and scream. "GOODBYE!" I shout out frantically, my voice shaking and the door closes.


	3. Chapter 3

_**From the Treat of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping.**_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody fo the Capitol and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death, until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

Chapter 3

When we reach the train doors they open automatically and I wait for Steve to walk through first. Instead he takes a step back and gestures for me to walk through. "Ladies first ma'am." His face hasn't changed a bit since I first saw him in the crowd, but his voice has lightened up a bit.

I nod my thanks and enter my eyes landing on the first thing I see. Effie follows after and she immediately stalks towards the red velvet couch stepping around and ignoring the drunk dirtying Haymitch that laid on the floor in a pool of vomit.

Haymitch Abernathy, district 12's only living victor, and our mentor for the games. District 12 has only had 2 victors in all 73 years of the Hunger Games, and the first victor died before I was born. Haymitch won the 50th Hunger Games, second Quarter Quell, which occurs every 25 years. He's supposed to help keep Steve and I alive. Only it's amazing he can keep himself alive in his state. I'm afraid we are on our own. Steve walks over to Haymitch, being mindful of the vomit, and shakes his head shoulder gently. I've never known Steve to ever not be gentle with something, especially people. "Haymitch." He whispers softly, but his only response is a loud snore.

From the corner of my eyes I see Effie roll her eyes and continue putting more lipstick on her already red lips. I cant help, but gape at her as she puts _more_ makeup on her already caked face. Do they not realize how freakish they look to the districts?

Steve tries again, but to no avail. I look around and smile when I see a vase. 'Perfect.' I walk over to it, pick it up, I take out the flowers and walk over to the guys. Steve looks up at me and immediately scoots away when I pour the contents out of the vase. We both jump back, Steve in front of me in a protective stance, when Haymitch jumps to a standing position slashing a knife into thin air. 'He sleeps with a knife! Geez, does he still dream about his games.'

Will I?

Steve carefully approaches him, his legs shoulder with apart and arms out in front of him to protect his body in case the knife takes a detour towards his body. Reminding me of the way I approach wounded animals before delivering the final deathblow.

"Who are you!?" He shouts making Steve and I jump, but Effie makes no sudden movement, probably already use to this behavior. I glare at him. This is the guy I have to trust my life with, Steve's life. This is the guy that is supposed to keep us alive in the games. A drunk- ass useless guy that could give a damn about us, only about liquor. I'd be lucky to get past the first day with him! I won't have it, and from the look on Steve's face, neither will he.

Effie answers harshly spitting her words at him not turning to look at him. "The new tributes, you would've known if you attended the ceremony like you were supposed to." Haymitch throws the knife on the ground and takes off his dirty ruined shirt to reveal his tank top in the same condition. He tosses aside his shirt and glares up at us.

"Why the hell am I wet?" Steve and my eyes meet only to look back at Haymitch. Steve doesn't look like he is going to tell anytime soon, might as well be me, since I'm the one who did it.

"I poured water on you to wake you up." I reply honestly and emotionlessly, even resulting to throwing the empty vase over my shoulder as evidence. We all stay silent to listen to it breaking against the tile floor. Haymitch stares up at me and starts to make his way to the table where he flops down in one of the chairs. Reaching out he grabs a bottle filled with red liquid and he just drinks straight from the bottle, not even bothering to pour it in a cup. I cringe when I see him staring at the both of us. Finally having enough I spit out at him. "What!" I cross my arms over my chest defensively and self-consciously. He doesn't respond. Steve's temper seems to be running low considering he runs over to the table and yanks the glass out of his hand speaking harshly.

"The lady asked you something. Now the only reasonable thing to do is respond, not drink like the coward you-" Before another word can cross through his lips, Haymitch snatches the bottle from him and his fist comes up to punch Steve in the face and his leg kicks him in the stomach. Steve falls, inches away from the vomit, his hand covering his eye. Seeing Haymitch hurt Steve brings me back to 5 years ago, when I saw his mother beating him that night he brought me the bread. Watching him cry out in pain, his body cringe every time she would go for another punch and definitely the tears that fell from his face when she was done. Growling I pick up a shattered of broken glass and chuck it at Haymitch when he stands from his chair and his fist starts making its way towards Steve. The glass almost hits its target, the middle of Haymitch's hand, but it doesn't. I groan when I see that he pulls his hand back before it can reach its mark. He looks up at me in surprise, but I don't return the stare and run over to Steve. My hand touches his shoulder, but he lashes out and kicks Haymitch in the stomach, the same spot where he was kicked. Haymitch falls back in his vomit again, and seems fazed by the sudden attack.

"Whats this?" He asks staring at the two of us. "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" I ignore him and whisper to Steve,

"Are you okay?" He nods his head taking his hand away from his face where a bruise is starting to appear. Without a second thought I stand up from my spot, and scoop a handful of ice from under the fruit tureen. I start to put it to his eye, when Haymitch says sternly.

"No." My hand hesitant, do I listen to him or not? I look at Steve and he stares back at me, for a few moments we don't say anything until I ask why. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena."

"That's against the rules." says Steve when we both stand from our positions on the ground.

"Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better," says Haymitch. He turns to me. "Besides a broken glass, what else can you throw?" Guns and physical fighting are my only weapons. I never had to worry about running out of pistols, because I use them wisely and carefully, and my father always kept a secret stash of them everywhere in the woods, you've just got to know where to find them.

My eyes land on the knife Haymitch was slashing at us moments ago and a smirk goes on my face. I've spent a fair amount of time throwing knives in the woods on my free time while I waited for Brayden. Sometimes, if Brayden wounded an animal with his trident, it's better to get a knife into it too before approaching it. If I want Haymitch's attention, this is my moment to make an impression. Reaching down I yank the knife from the floor, get a grip on the handle and then throw it into the wall across the room. Right above Effie who stiffens in fear making a smile spread across my lip. It was never my intent to hit her, just to hit above her extremely large mountain of hair that is clearly a wig. I was meant to just get a good solid stick, but on its journey to the wall it takes an apple out of a roasted pig's mouth and lands between the seam of two panels making me look a lot better than I am. "Stand over here. Both of you," says Haymitch nodding to the middle of the room. We obey and he circles us, prodding us like animals at times, checking our muscles, examining our faces. "Well, your not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough." Steve and I don't question this. The Hunger Games aren't a beauty contest, but the best- looking tributes always seem to pull more sponsors. After what seems like forever, Haymitch stops in front of both of us with a smug smirk on his face. "All right, I'll make you a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you… Only, if you do exactly what I say." It's not much of a deal, but still a giant step forward from ten minutes ago when he had no guide at all.

"Fine," Steve says, "So help us. When we get to the arena what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone-"Haymitch holds up a hand cutting him off.

"One thing at a time. Tomorrow when we arrive, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you, but no matter what it is, don't resist." My eyes widen. I open my mouth to protest, but Haymitch cuts me off. "No buts, don't resist." He takes the bottle of spirits from the table and leaves the car. Steve and I just stand there for a few minutes, before he turns to Effie who hasn't noticed a single thing since she first spoken, he asks if he can be excuse.

"Of course darling! One of the attendants will show you to your room. You too, what is your name again?" I open my mouth to answer, but Steve does for me.

"Natasha." Effie smiles at the two of us then turns back to what she was doing. I stare at him, I still have a lot of questions to ask him, and I don't think now is the time. Steve is escorted to his quarters, I'm about to follow assuming mine is in the same hallway, but I'm escorted the other way. I watch as the door breaks apart Steve and I and watch as he walks away with a glance in my direction before leaving.

.

**Steve's P.O.V-**

.

"Yes sir, I understand."

"You better Rogers, our entire future depends on her staying alive. You know how important she is to this cause."

"I'm well aware of that and I will do whatever I can to keep her safe and protected. But you can't only depend on me to do that, there are others involved, correct?"

"And others that want to kill her with their lives, not willing to give up their own for the better of our future." I bit my bottom lip and sit on the edge of my bed running my hand through my hair. "Listen, I've been thinking and I believe that the only way for her to actually trust you, trust you with her life, you've got to get her to fall in love with you. Or become extremely good friends, get on good terms with her." My eyes widen and I try to protest against his suggestion. He laughs at my pathetic attempt to protest and I can almost imagine the smile he has on. "Why are you protesting? I know you love her. We all know you care about her, it's obvious. By the way you reacted to her name being called, and when you volunteered to protect the only thing she loves. Her brother. It was only a matter of time before you confessed your love for her." I feel myself blushing and shaking my head in protest, although he cant see me. "Do it, I will be expecting it to be shown in front of all of Panem, either on the tribute parade or in the interview. Proclaim your love once and for all and everyone in the Capitol will be expecting you to do whatever you can to save her. So it wont be a surprise to anyone."

"What if not all of Panem is not convinced with our relationship? What if they start to rebel before we even get the chance to actually save her from the arena."

"You leave that to me." I can feel the evil smile growing on his face. "You can't let her know about this. You're the only one that she'll listen to once she gains your trust-"

"I'll be the only one worthy of her trust because I won't lie to her, nor will I tell her the full truth of all this. If she asks I'll give her an answer of unimportance, but that will also have truth in it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, be lovey dovey, I don't care. But if you do tell her any of this all hell will break lose and we'll all be lucky to live if this information gets out."

"I will never speak a word of this and I'm sure neither will any of the others. I also am aware that she is the most important thing to this cause and if others want a change as much as I do, they'll die trying to make that happen and so will I."

"Excellent." I hear footsteps outside my door and a knock.

"Um… Steve, it's me Natasha. Can I please come in?"

"Shit." I whisper suddenly into the phone.

"What, what is it?"

"She's here, outside my door."

"Let her in, we're done here. You're dismissed Captain." Then the phone call is ended. I let out a sigh of relief and put the phone down softly trying not to make too much noise. Jumping up from the bed I walk across the room stopping in front of the door, my hand on the door knob. Closing my eyes tightly I begin to think back to my conversation before, 'Our entire future depends on her staying alive… you've got to get her to fall in love with you... I know you love her. We all know you care about her, it's obvious.' Before this I thought it wasn't as obvious and I'm scared of her rejection. What if she doesn't what to be in a relationship with me? The same exact excuse to keep me from asking her out ever since I was 9 years old. Well, now I cant chicken out of it this time. I need to man up and just tell her, tell her once and for all that I love her. I love Natasha Romanoff. I open the door and find her there standing in PJ she must've found in her drawers. I find myself staring at her without even noticing, she looks good in baby blue. Snap out of it Rogers! I mentally slap myself for staring and clear my throat to greet her. But it's too late, she already knew I was staring and I can see her suppressing a blush.

"H-Hello Mrs. Romanoff." I slap myself again for stuttering and continue it without letting a blush pass through my emotionless face at the moment. "It's a little late for a friendly visit." I comment when my eyes land on the clock. 12:25 a.m. Her eyes sweep down the empty hallway nervously her teeth clamp down hard on her bottom lip. I wait for her to speak, but she doesn't.

After a minute or so she does, "It's a little stuffy, don't you think?"

It's a harmless comment, but I can see through what she's saying and I nod my head in understanding. "Come on, the train stopped for fuel. Let's get some fresh air." I follow her down the hallway and continue following her until we stop at a door that is slightly open. Natasha pushes it even more and we both jump down from the train. I can see Capitol attendants come rushing to our side trying to see if we're okay and if we are in need of something. I shake my head and wave them away as Natasha explains to them. "Just want some fresh air. Only be a couple minutes." And Natasha and I are on our way.

After a few good yards away she stops walking and turns to face me. With the moon being our only source of light I'm still able to identify that she's shaking a little from the breeze of the cold night air. Taking off my tux jacket- I have still yet to change not trusting anything the Capitol has to offer me- I wrap it around her shoulder and she gives me a tiny smile of thanks. I've never known Natasha to be talkative at all so we stand there enjoying the moonlight and the night. I soon suggest sitting down and she accepts graciously. Our silence continues. I'm about certain she's about to fall asleep when she abruptly asked her voice full of energy, but her body swaying slightly.

"Steve," My head snaps over to her and find her staring straight into my eyes. Her green beautiful orbs staring into my plain blue eyes freezing me in my spot with just a simple look. "I have to ask you one question. And I need you to honestly answer it, don't sugar code anything to 'keep from hurting my feelings'" she says quoting the ending. I can't find my voice at this point, so I do the only thing I know I can. I nod my head and keep my attention on Natasha as she looks down trying to phrase what she has to say. I wait patiently seeing as this is hard for her to say. Before she can stress herself anymore I step in to assure her.

"Natasha whatever you have to say, you can say it. I won't judge you and I promise not to lie to you. You have my word." Her head looks up at me and our eyes meet again, making me weak to knees once again. Biting her bottom lip harder she takes a deep breath and finally spits out what she has to say.

"Why did you do it?" Once those are out of her mouth she covers her mouth instantly and I can hear her cursing herself out. I crease my eyes in confusion as I try to figure out what she's talking about.

"I'm sorry Natasha, but I'm afraid I don't understand. Do what?"

"Okay Steve, I'm just… I'm going to go out and say it because I cant seem to get the damn sentence out without stuttering. Okay?" I nod my head and gesture to sitting down. Once we're both seated I turn my full attention on her. "Okay," She lets out a long sigh, closing her eyes briefly, before whispering softly, "Why did you volunteer to save my brother?"

**Natasha's P.O.V-**

Steve stares at me for a couple of minutes then turns his attention to stare at something in far distance. His face crunches up, as his eyes harden and his mouth pulls into a thin line. Biting my bottom lip, I slip my hands under my legs and stare at him. He seems be in a trance, but I'm not quite sure. My only option is to wait.

I watch as his fingers trace along the slightly damp sand and enclose around two small daisies. He scoops them up and presents them to me. I reach out to take them cautiously, but know that Steve wouldn't try to hurt me. The games haven't even started. Once they are wrapped in my hands Steve begin, in a small whisper staring out into the sky.

"I don't know. I guess I felt like I had to." My eye brow creases, why did he feel like he had to?

"Why? My brother, why did you spare his life? I'm truthfully grateful, you don't know how grateful I am, but… I just want to know why. You wouldn't have been accountable for his death if he did die in that arena."

Steve gives me a rueful smile before brushing back a stray strand of hair from my face. "Once I saw you on stage, the memory of when I gave the bread popped up and I knew. I knew I had to do something. So I volunteered." My eyes widen. He does remember! He didn't forget. He does remember that night he gave me the bread. But him telling me that he remembers that night didn't necessarily answer my question.

"You didn't answer me." I remind him.

Steve chuckles, "You are persistent, I'll give you that. It'll make sense why I volunteered soon, you'll understand."

My first assumption of why he volunteered pops in his head. "Steve, I know about the abuse. I know that your mom hurts you, your dad doesn't do anything to prevent and neither do any of your brothers. You're the only one that gets hurt. Answer this one question for me." I take a deep breath, reach out and grabs Steve's hand giving him a slight squeeze. "Did you volunteer to escape the abuse? To get away from how they treat you?" He doesn't answer, he lowers his head in answer. I gasp. "It can't be true? Steve you can't do that!"

"That's part of the reason I volunteered." He admits, running a hand through his perfectly combed hair before dropping his hand in his lap. "You said I cant do it? I can and I am. There is no way out of this. Your brother Aiden is safe and he can live. So will you." Steve whispers, muttering the last part. I can't believe him. I wont live! I have no chance in these games, but Steve. He's strong, is an excellent wrestler and would keep many busy in physical battle whereas I, if I get jumped I'm dead! I grip his hand harder forcing him to look at me again.

"Steve there is 24 of us and only one will come out."

"Yes," comments Steve "and it's going to be you." I open my mouth to protest, but stop short of breath when Steve's blue eyes gaze back into my green ones capturing me in a hard lock stare. I cant move my eyes, no matter how hard I want to, I cant. His eyes are just so perfect and hypnotizing and I feel so safe in this spot, why should I move? My palms start getting sweaty causing the flowers in my hand to drop from my hands and my hands search around for them, but end up holding Steve's hand our eyes never breaking. His eyes, for a split second, flicker to my lips as mine does him. Is he thinking what I'm thinking? My thoughts are confirmed when he starts to lean in. I take a deep breath and hold it for a couple of seconds debating if I should met him or tell him no. I cant find the energy to say no and I really want it… why deny myself this? I'm going to die soon anyway and what better way to leave by having my first kiss with Steve Rogers. The perfect, husky boy everyone at school would want and crave to be with… including me. I lean in too, closing my eyes and breathing in deeply capturing Steve's sweet scent of honey and cinnamon.

My lips brush against his for the slightest second before I lean in more to press our lips together more.


	4. Chapter 4

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 4**

Now I understand.

I understand why he volunteered. Every emotion he could muster into the kiss, he does so effortlessly.

Steve cares about me.

_Steve Rogers cares about me._

Enough to protect the one person I'm sure I love with all my heart. Enough to spare Aiden from death and sacrifices his own for my little brother to live.

His lips are warm, soft and tender along with his hand gently caressing my face and his other holding onto my waist tightly. I feel my breathing increase along with the pumping of my heart. This is not happening. I'm not kissing Steve Rogers in the middle of the nowhere in a beautiful moonlight that shimmers down at us. This moment is just too perfect. Steve is perfect. His lips taste like cinnamon and honey, and he smells magnificent. I'm memorized by his scent. I starting to push him down to the ground. I lean over him, our lips never breaking and my hand resting on his chest, over his heart. It feels so amazing and so right. I take a deep breath and press my body against his.

I open my eyes and realize our position. I pull away slightly and I can feel my cheeks grow hot also noticing Steve's blush. The kiss left us both breathless. I giggle sit up apologizing as I did so. I stand up and Steve places a hand on my shoulder shaking his head. "Don't say sorry. I enjoyed it. Thank you." I blush harder. I press my hands against them to hide it from Steve's view, although I have a feeling he already saw it. The whistle of the train brings us back to our senses making us chuckle. "We're keeping them waiting. We should go." I nod in my agreement and secure his jacket around my shoulders more. It's then I realize I'm shivering. Steve's arm immediately goes to my shoulder and we rush back to the train, hand in hand, waiting for the warmth of the train to enclose us.

I sigh in contentment once the train doors close, but frown when the train starts moving. Tomorrow afternoon we'll arrive at the Capitol. Steve walks me to my bedroom and once we arrive at the door I realize I must have stopped the circulation in his hand. "Sorry," I whisper embarrassed and taking my hand away, but Steve reaches back out and grabs it. He presses my knuckles to his lips giving me a wink that makes me blush harder.

"It didn't bother me." I slip off the jacket with a smile and hands it over to Steve. Steve takes it and we stand in comfortable silence. I can't understand how it's not awkward, but everything with Steve can never be awkward. He's Steve.

My mind wanders off to the situation at hand. The games. Our competitors and what I fear the most, over my own life, is watching Steve lose his own life. I know I shouldn't be moping over my district partner's life because only one of us can win. I don't want Steve and I to be the last two people in the arena because I know I can never kill him. I visibly shiver at the thought killing Steve, I wouldn't be able to. It may sound weak, but I already care about him too much to hurt him just so I can go home. Even if I did kill him I'd never leave the arena. I'd stay there forever trying to figure out a way to escape, no one leaves their games. It follows them wherever they go.

"You okay?" Steve asks sensing my distress with a concern look on his face. I nod my head reassuringly crossing my arms over my chest, knowing if I speak my voice will betray me. Although I do my best to look convincing I'm dreading the time when Steve will have to walk back to his room and I'm left to face the night alone. I was no stranger to nightmares before the games, but I'm scared that's all I'll be enduring once my head hits that pillow. Steve watching me gets the message even though I try my best to keep my face blank from emotion. "Hey, do you want to go get something warm to drink." He gives me a warm genuine smile reaching his hand out to me. There are many Capitol people on this train that could get it for us. They cook for us, wait for us and guard us. Taking care of us is their job. They could probably make, but I'm not very fond of them and don't plan on using them to my advantage. I actually want nothing to do with them considering they are making me comfortable before throwing me into an arena to die. I'm sure Steve would want as less to do with these people as much as I would and just gives me a shake of his head. I understand though, they are freaks and the districts are frightened by the way the Capitol people look towards us. Hideous and what they call beautiful, ugly. I want to say no, but my mind wanders towards the nightmares that will be sure to come when Steve's presence will be gone. When I'm about him I feel… safe. Which is odd to say considering our predicament.

With a small smile I nod my head and shyly take my hand in his. His hands feel so warm against my chilly ones and I melt into the heat. Steve pulls me closer to him once feeling how cold I really am. We walk to the main car and once we arrive we find the screen of their flat screen T.V. on and playing. Walking in closer we realize it's the channel where they broadcast the reaping and any other events dealing with the Hunger Games. I stiffen when I see it's on district 12… they are playing the entire thing.

Once Aiden starts walking towards the stage I'm on the verge of tears. Aiden… seeing him makes me imagine what my home must look like with its shutters drawn tightly. What they doing now, my mother and Aiden? Were they able to eat supper? The fish stew and the strawberries? Or did it lie untouched on their plates? Did they watch the recap of the reaping on one of its many broadcasts? Surely, there were more tears. Is my mother holding up, being stronger, for Aiden? Or has she already started to slip away, leaving the weight of the world on my brother's fragile shoulders. Aiden will undoubtedly sleep with my mother tonight. The thought of that scruffy old ugly looking cat we kept named Buttercup looking over him at night comforts me. If he starts crying, Buttercup will nose his way into his arms, curl up in his side and stay there until he calms down and falls asleep. I'm now glad I didn't drown him. Suddenly the T.V. screen turns off leaving the car black with the moon being it's only source of light.

Looking over at Steve through what little light we have I find him holding the remote which, before, was located right beside him. I nod my thanks, raising my arms to nonchalantly remove the tears while pretending to turn around and look at the car we're in. Only to find myself wrapped in Steve's arms when he pulls me in for a huge hug.

After a few seconds I feel a wet spot on my cheek and curse myself out for being weak. His hands come up to rub my back comfortingly and that's when I break down. If I had any time to cry, now would be the time to do it. Although a part of me wishes Steve wasn't here to see me like this and another thanks him for his presence and comfort. I grip him tighter and feel myself being moved until I'm seated on something. More like someone.

I life my head to find Steve staring back at me, but we're not standing. I'm sitting on his lap, my head laying on his chest while he sits on the couch. My bottom lip starts to quiver and shoulders start to shake. "Hey, it's alright to cry. There is nothing wrong to showing weakness. Everyone cries. No one should hold it in, especially in front of people that care about you and want to make things better." I throw my arms around his neck and sob into his neck as he whispers nonsense in my ear that I know will never cheer me up. I never allow anyone to comfort me, but Steve is different. Steve and Aiden are different from the rest of the world, maybe Brayden is an exception. Even then I would never allow him to see me cry. But it's different. Brayden and I were brought together through the desperation of survival, to keep ourselves and our families alive in this corrupt world. Steve and I were forced together in a game we will never come out alive… well I know I won't. Steve still has a chance just like everyone else in these games.

After dinner Steve, Effie and I went into this very room and watch the recap of the games from all the other districts even staying to watch district 12 which left me feeling numb. One by one we see the other reaping, the names called, and the volunteers stepping forward or more often not. We examine the faces of the kids who will be our competition. A few stand out in my mind. A boy from 1, with a cocky amused smirk on his face when he steps up to volunteer for a hysterical younger boy. His name was Tony. He looked cunning and fearless, I know I'm going to have to watch out for him and his weaknesses. Which wasn't hard when the next tribute was called. His face immediately turns into one of pain when the girl tribute, Virginia Pepper Potts, walks up to the stage. I know then and there I've found his weak spot. A pretty girl with strawberry blond hair, slim body frame and freckles that adorn her scared face steps up and walks towards the stage. If I'm going to take this Tony down, I'm going to have to go after his girl, Virginia.

The male tribute from 2, Bruce Banner, though looks weak and harmless, had this sort of air about him. He was apprehensive as he walked up to the stage, but there was a glint in his eyes that made me doubt my thoughts about him. Also I found it odd that his eyes quickly went from dark brown to green in a few seconds before turning back to its normal color. His skin even colored slightly, going to match his eyes before returning to normal. I'm definitely going to have to watch out for him.

Again the male tribute from the career district makes an impression. The blonde, hard faced boy whose grey eyes stare off into the distance as he stands on stage named Clint. He looks fearless as well and very stoic. So does the boy from district 6, Loki, except he looks scary. A sort of 'Don't fuck with me' vibe is passed off and I instantly I know I won't like him.

The girl tribute from 7 named Sift definitely caught my attention. She look battle ready with her masculine, yet feminine body posed as if they're ready to attack at any given moment.

As we watched the reaping, none of the tributes seem to really scare and intimidate me… until I saw the male tribute from district 7 named Thor who comes onto stage a little less showy then Tony, but smiling like he's just done the most honorable thing he has ever done in his life. I stole a peek at Steve when Thor came out on stage and noticed they weren't that must different in height and body mass. I surprised myself by letting out a sigh of relief. Thor is bigger than Steve, but Steve is the best wrestler at our school. He came in first place in our school competition last year so battling against this Thor person may not be a problem for him, but me I really will need to use a weapon against some of these people.

I feel my eye lids start to get heavy and force myself to look at up Steve. He smiles at my attempt to stay awake. "Go to sleep. It's past bedtime anyway." He whispers brushing my hair from my face. I want to stay up and speak with him, but cant find the strength to do so. A yawn breaks through my lips and I cuddle closer to the warmth of Steve's body and smile when his arms encircle me. "Go to sleep." He whispers.

Just before I can say anything else, I raise my head with the last bit of energy I have and press my lips against his. Just another one. I craved one ever since we pulled away outside the train. He kisses me back, and reaches his hand up to caress my face with his hand. I place my hand over his and deepen the kiss as I sit up straight from my spot. A smile breaks through my lips as I kiss him.

This feels so wrong, yet so right. We're about to die and I'm wasting my time making an attachment to a guy who will probably end up losing me. I'm just making this worse by kissing him because he'll lose me and have to go back to district 12 alone. Only I can't find the strength to stop. I feel many emotions rising my chest, emotions I've never ever felt with anyone except Aiden, my father and my mother before she died inside. I cant explain it, but I can act upon them and right now… they want to be near Steve as much as possible. After a few moments I pull away and lean my head against his chest yawning again. His arms tighten around me and he kisses the top of my head. He says nothing else, but I do. Through a yawn I manage to get out. "I… had to do… that. Just one more time." I whisper before I'm developed in darkness.

**Steve's P.O.V**-

I stare down at her as I watch her sleep peacefully, admiring how beautiful she looks in her sleep and how gorgeous her smile is. Her smile seems to widen after a few minutes and I know she's having a good dream. Probably dreaming about home. I sigh loudly and immediately chastise myself for being loud when Natasha is trying to sleep.

A goofy smile spreads across my face when she stirs slight, but doesn't wake up. Natasha actually leaned into kiss me when I leaned in. I couldn't help it. She was sitting there, in my jacket, smiling at me with the moonlight lighting up her face making her even more beautiful then she already was. It was out of control and I leaned in. Luckily I stopped myself halfway, afraid of the rejection and afraid that I'm being to straight forward. I was waiting for a punch in the face for a second until I felt something far more amazing. Her lips pressed against mine. Once our lips made contact it felt as if the whole world stopped spinning and everything around us froze. As if it was just us and nothing else mattered. It felt that way and I know I don't just like Natasha Romanoff. I think I might actually be in love with her and she knows it. I put as much emotion as I could into that kiss and I think I succeed. I think Natasha knows the real reason I volunteered to save her.

Love is a strong word and my father always taught me to use words precisely and never treat a women with disrespect. Hence why I always let my mother hurt me without fighting back. Love, at this point, should not be said… it's too early for that. We just had our first kiss an hour ago and our second a couple minutes ago. It definitely too early. I just hope I'll be able to tell Natasha that I love her before it's my time to go in the arena. She needs to know what she means to me and I know I'll have to write her note before the games begin. Sometime later I'll write something for her and give it to her with the last strength I'll conjure up in the arena. Leaning down I press my lips against her forehead, intertwining my fingers with hers. I pull her up more and rest my head back on the couch and find myself falling asleep with each passing second.

Before I know it I'm out.


	5. Chapter 5

**From the Treaty of the Treason. In penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping.**

**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**

**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 5**

**Natasha- P.O.V**

I wake up to the scent of bacon, eggs and toast making my mouth water. "Mmm…" I start to get up to go see what's making that delicious scent until I feel someone's arm around my waist. I freeze in fear, my mind already in the games. I reach my hand back hungry for a gun or knife. That's when I see a blur of blonde hair making me relax immediately, the memory of last night hitting me like a ton of bricks.

It's only Steve.

A smile crosses my lips without warning and I lean back into his warmth not wanting to wake him or get up. I turn my head towards Steve's face and close my eyes taking a deep breath. I smile bigger when I smell honey and cinnamon hit my nose. I can wait to eat, the food will always be there now that I'm a contestant of the games. Steve is more important.

Just as I'm about to go back to sleep, a hand reaches up and caresses my face. His breath hits my shoulder a second after. "Good morning Natasha." He whispers, lips centimeters away from my neck.

I open my eyes and turn to stare into his beautiful orbs. My breath gets caught in my throat. Even with his hair ruffled up in the morning and his eyes still having that sleepy hazy, he still looks beautiful. My hand comes up to cheek, "Good morning Steve." And since I cant help it, I place a kiss on his lips. We could stay like this forever, but much to our protest we're soon broken apart. When we hear the door slide open to the cart, Steve and I have some sort of unspoken agreement and we quickly detangle ourselves. No one should know about this.

By the time Haymitch walks in, I'm sitting on the couch pretending to watch TV as Steve stands by the window watching as things pass by us in a blur. I'm extremely irritated with Haymitch and instead of screaming at him, I end up glaring at the TV.

"Br… it's colder then Alaska in here. You guys better warm up before the cameras get here."

"It's not him that I'm angry at." I admit and Haymitch's eyebrow raises.

"Oh? Then then, Ms. Romanoff, do enlighten me. What is it that is the cause of that glare of yours?"

"You." Steve answers before I can and he turns his head to glare at our mentor. "Natasha and I are angry at you because at this moment it seems as if we're alone. We have no one to look up to and ask questions about surviving in the arena."

"We can't trust anyone." I add.

Haymitch stares at us in disbelief his eyes holding a darken haze behind them. He's drunk. "We made a deal. I'll stay sober enough to help you."

"Look at you right now. You're in no state of mind to help us." Steve points out as he walks over to Haymitch and gives him a gentle push. Despite it being gentle, Haymitch staggers and would've completely fell over if he hadn't of caught himself on the table. "Go to back to bed Haymitch. Effie will come get you when we arrive."

With that Steve turns back to me, and motions for me to leave with him. I follow him silently trying to hide my smile at Haymitch's puzzled expression. Steve and I last a full five minutes before dissolving into laughter. He finds an empty room and opens the door, ushering us inside quickly. When the door is locked, I grab his collar and pull him towards me, pecking his lips. "That Mr. Rogers, was excellent acting."

"But yours was better." He replies, smirking his hands finding refugee on my hips. He leans in and kisses me full on the lips. It's times like these where we can forget everything. Right now, we're not two competitors about to be thrusted into an arena to kill each other. Now we're merely Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, two teenagers from district 12 and madly in love. Making out, laughing and having fun. The fames feel like they're not going to happen and this moment only deals with Steve and I. If I don't win these games, I wish to the very last shred of hope Steve does. It will benefit my mother and brother the most if Steve makes it back because surely he'd keep food in their bellies and help them survive. I'd do the same to his family, evil or not, that's what he'd want.

Our lips part for a second and that's when the train lurches. Thankfully Steve was ready for it and catches me before I topple to the ground. He smiles down at me and opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by the intercom coming to life. "We've arrived." Someone speaks through it and soon after a loud horn blares to life.

I involuntarily freeze in my spot, not wanting to leave. I don't even know I'm shaking until Steve pulls me up against his chest. "Hey, it's okay. I won't let them hurt you. This is only the beginning and I will protect you until my last breath. You'll survive. You don't have to hide your fears either, at least not in front of me. I care about you and I want to see all sides of you. Whether you're happy, sad, scared… You're safe with me."

A tear slides down my cheek and Steve wipes it away tenderly. I stare up at him and more tears start coming down. I nod my head slowly and stand on my tippy toes, whispering against his lips, "Kiss me?" He cups my face without another word and kisses me passionately. I desperately cling onto him and pull him closer, more tears running down my face as I deepen the kiss. When we pull away I wipe my tears taking a glance at his shirt, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be acting like this."

"No," he whispers wiping my eyes with his thumbs. "It's normal. You're definitely not the first tribute to cry about this and you're not the last. It's alright."

I nod my head and hug him one last time until the sound of the horn blaring breaks up apart. "We have to go."

.

.

.

_Riiiiiiip!_

I grit my teeth as Venia, a woman with aqua hair and gold tattoos above her eyebrows yanks a strip of fabric from my leg tearing out the hair beneath. I cant help, but let out a wince and snap. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" She pipes in her high stupid Capital accent. "You're just so hairy!" I roll my eyes and the woman makes what's supposed to be a sympathetic face. "Good news, though. This is the last one, ready?" I take a deep breath and grip the edge of the metal table beneath me- seriously metal?! It's like we're fucking caged animals. Tightening my grip, I nod. The final swathe of my leg hair is uprooted in a painful jerk.

It's been more than 3 hours since they've put me in the remake center and I still haven't met my stylist. All tributes are required to go through this process before meeting our stylists so they don't see how 'hideous' we look before they start their work.

Obviously, my stylists has no intention of seeing me until my prep team has addressed some obvious problem with my body. This includes scrubbing my body, turning my nails into uniform shapes and primarily ridding my body of hair. After they grease my body, I'm pulled harshly from the table and my thin robe is snatched off of me. I stand there, completely naked, as the three circle me looking for anything out of place.

It takes a few minutes for them to okay me and they step back to admire their work. "Oh my gosh! Look at what we've done. Sweetheart, you actually look like a human!" Octavia, a plump woman with everdeen green skin, squeals.

My hands immediately ball into fist and I resist the urge to punch her. Instead I force a smile to show how grateful I am. "Thank you, we don't have much cause to look nice in district twelve."

My comment wins them over and they're patting my shoulder in a comforting manner. "Of course you don't! You poor darling. But don't worry, by the time Phil is done with you, you're going to be gorgeous!"

"Let's go get him. He absolutely needs to meet you. You know now that we've gotten rid of all the hair and filth you're not horrible at all!" They dart out of the room faster then I could blink.

Frowning I walk over to the table and grab the robe wrapping it around myself. I realized how hard it is to hate my prep team. They're such total idiots and yet, it an odd way, I know they're sincerely trying to help me. In their own special way.

The door opens a few minutes later and a young man enter. I presume him to be my stylist, Phil. I'm taken back by how normal he looks. Most of the stylists they interview on television are so dyed, stenciled and surgically altered they're grotesque. But not Phil. His close- cropped hair appears to be its natural shade of dirty blonde. He's in a simple black shirt and slacks. There is nothing about this man that suggest he is from the Capitol. It's a little unnerving. "Hello Natasha, I'm Phil Coulson you're stylist." He says in a quiet, yet soft voice somewhat lacking the Capitol's affectations.

"Hello" I venture cautiously.

"Give me a moment, alright?" He asks gesturing towards my body. I sigh and remove the robe once again. I resist the impulse to cross my arms over my chest as he walks around me. Not touching me, but taking in every inch with his eyes. "Who did your hair?" He asks curiously eyeing it with an amused smile.

"My mother." I answer.

He nods his head, "It's beautiful. Classic really ad in almost perfect balance with your profile. She has a very nice taste."

I had expected someone flamboyant, someone older trying desperately to look young, someone who view me as a piece of meat rather than a human. Phil has met none of these expectations. "You're new aren't you?" I inquire. "I don't think I've seen you before." Most of the stylists are familiar constants n the ever changing pool of tributes. Some have been around my whole life.

"Yes, this is my first year in the Games." He says.

"So they gave you District 12?" It wouldn't surprise me. Most of the newcomers generally end up stuck with us. The least desirable district.

"I ask for 12." He says without further explanation. "Why don't you put on you're robe and we'll have a chat."

I do as he says eagerly and following him through a door into a sitting room. Two white couches face off over a table. Three walls are blank, the fourth is entirely glass, providing a window to the city. I can see by the light that it must be around noon. Phil reaches over and presses a button on the arm of the couch. Almost immediately our lunch raises from the table. Chicken and chunks of oranges cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly white grain, tiny green peas and onion, rolls shaped like flower and for dessert, a pudding the color of honey.

I don't try to hold back my disgust and admiration. What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at the press of a button? How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? What do these people do all day? Besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to roll in and die for their entertainment?

I look up and find Phil's eyes trained on me. "How despicable we must seem to you." He says. He's right, the whole rotten lot of them is despicable. "So Natasha, about your costume for the opening ceremonies. My partner, Maria, is the stylist of your fellow tribute Steve. And our current thought is to dress you in a complementary costumes. As you know it's customary to reflect on the favor of your district." For the opening ceremony you're supposed to war something that suggests you're districts principle industry. District 11, agriculture. District 4, fishing. District 3, factories. This means that coming from District 12, Steve and I will be in some kind of coal miner's getup. It's because of this that I assume, we'll probably be naked.

"So we'll be dressed in coal miners outfits?" I ask

"Not exactly," The smile Phil gives me sends shivers down my body.

.

.

After a few hours, I'm dressed in what will either be the most sensation or the deadliest costume in the opening ceremony. I'm in a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny leather boots lace up to the knees. But it's the fluttering cape made of stream of orange, yellow and red and that matching headpiece that defines the costume. Phil plans to light them on fire just before our chariot rolls into the streets.

"Maria and I spent a lot of time looking at fire. Of course it's not real flame, just a little synthetic fire Maria and I came up with. You'll be perfectly safe. I want the audience to recognize you when you're in the arena." Phil says as an explanation as to why my face is not caked with makeup. It is relatively clear of it in face, just a little bit of highlighting. My hair has been brush out and left down.

I haven't seen him since this morning so it's a huge relief when Steve shows up dressed in an identical costume. He should know about fire, being a baker's son and all. His stylist, Maria, and her team accompany him. The prep teams are absolutely giddy with excitement over what splash we'll make. Except Phil and Maria. They just seem a bit weary as they accept congratulations.

Steve and I are ushered down to the bottom level of the remake center. The ceremony is about to start. Pairs of tributes are being loaded onto their chariot pulled by a team of horses. Phil and Maria direct us into the chariot and carefully arrange our body positions before moving off to consult with each other. I make sure they're out of ear shot to speak to Steve. "What do you think?" I move closer to him and whisper in his ear. "About the fire?"

Steve usually calm demeanor is replaced with anger. "I'll rip off you're cape if you rip off mine."

"Deal."

Maybe if we get them off soon enough we'll avoid the worst burns. "I know we promised Haymitch we'd do exactly what they said, but I don't think he considered this angle." Steve says.

"Isn't he supposed to be protecting us from things like this? Where is he?"

"With all that alcohol in him, it's probably not advisable to have him around an open flame." We both laugh and Steve's hand slips around my waist, out of view from the others. "I missed you." He whispers.

"I missed you too." I whisper back.

Before I can say another word the opening music begins and Steve and I are back in our positions again. The massive doors slide open, revealing the crowd-lined street. The tributes of district 11 are rolling out when Phil appears with a lighted torch. He quickly climbs our chariot and before we can react sets our capes on fire. I gasp waiting for the burning heat to begin blistering my skin, but there is only the faint tickling sensation. Phil smiles at his work and jumps off before the chariot gets any closer to the doors. He shouts something up at us, but the music drowns him out. He shouts again and gestures.

"He's telling us to hold hands." Steve replies before I can ask. A smile grows on my face and I reach out eagerly to take his hand in my own. We look up for confirmation and he nods, giving us a thumbs up. That's the last thing I see before we enter the city,

At first there is nothing, only the music. All eyes are on Steve and I. I try to shuffle my way behind Steve to hide myself, but he keeps me planted firmly in place. The seconds tick by and when I count to 20 the entire city screams out in unison making Steve and I jump. I cling to his arm, not caring if others see it. But they don't, they're too busy pointing at our costumes and trying to get our attention. The alarm of the crowd quickly changes to cheers and shouts of "District Twelve!" I stay glued to Steve's side until I catch sight of us on the largest screen.

I'm frozen in shock. My god… this is not me. This not the girl from Seam whose father died in a mine accident. Who is now participating in the Hunger Games and who will die. I do not see a girl, or even a women, but some unearthly being who looks like she might make her home in the volcano. My red hair only adds more affect to the black crown which now appears red- hot, casts strange shadows on my lightly made up face. My face is almost obscured by dramatic highlights and dark shadows. I look as if I have been coated in glowing embers- no, that I am a glowing ember straight from our fireplace. The color rises and falls, shifts and blends, in an exact way that coals do.

Phil's voice enters my head, "_Remember, head high. Smile. They're going to love you."_

I lift my head higher with some new found confidence and put on my most winning smile. I'm glad I have Steve to for balance, he's as steady as a rock. As I gain more confidence I actually start to wave to the crowd and blow out a few kisses. The people are going nuts, showering us with flowers and shouting our names. The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration work their way into my blood and I cant suppress my excitement. Phil has given Steve and I are a great advantage in the games. All focus as been turned off the other chariots whose tributes are also staring at us. Some in disgust, in admiration and wanting expressions on their faces. No one will forget us. Not our looks, not our names. Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, the boy and girl on fire.

For the first time since my name was called from the reaping I actually feel a flicker of hope rising in my chest. I may have a shot at winning these games and going home. From the corner of my eye I see Steve laughing at something and I don't know what until I'm pulled from my thoughts at the cheer the crowd is now doing. "Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, Natasha!"

My eyes widen. They're calling my name. Mine! I turn to Steve with the same expression and he burst into a fit of laughter. We've barely entered the city circle and I've now taken the time to realize that I've probably stopped the circulation in Steve's hand. That's how tightly I had been holding on. I look down and start to take my hand away, but Steve grabs it holding tight. "It's, don't let go of me."

I find myself blushing and I nod anyway despite the heat in my cheeks. Our chariots come to stop right in front of President Snow's mansion. The music ends as soon as all the chariots stop.

The president a small, thin man with paper- white hair, gives the official welcome from a balcony above us. The darker it becomes the more difficult it is to take your eyes off our flickering. When it's over the national anthem plays and the cameras make an effort to do a quick cut around to each pair of tributes, but the cameras hold on us when the chariots parade around one final time before disappearing into the Training Center


	6. Chapter 6

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 6**

"Each of the districts get their own floor and because you're from 12, you get the penthouse!"

The elevator doors open and Steve and I pause before taking a tentative step inside while Haymitch and Effie inside heading towards, what I assume is, the living room. This place is so luxurious and 10 times bigger than my house in Seam. This feels like a dream, but of course due to our situation, I'd consider this a nightmare.

Effie turns to us, "Your rooms are right over here," she gestures to the right where a long hallway extends leading to doors on one side and the other side leading to more elevators. "Why don't you go clean yourselves up a little before dinner?"

Steve and I are more than happy to leave, breaking into a fast pace towards the hallway. Before entering Steve gestures for me to go first which I oblige and we wait until we're out of view to grab hands again. Stopping in the hallway I turn to Steve and lean in whispering, "Which room, mine or yours?" Steve pretends to mull it over before whispering,

"Yours." I smile and pull him closer to him reaching behind myself to grab the door knob. I open it and bring us both inside. My quarters is still larger then my entire house back home as well as the penthouse living room, dining room and kitchen. They are plush, like the train car bedroom- although I never spent more than an hour in that room before memories plagued me- but also have so many automatic gadgets that I'm sure I won't have time to press all the buttons.

"Wow," I hear myself whisper as I make my way around the room. Opening a door connected to the room, I peek into the bathroom and find myself walking more into it. 'Damn…' I think looking at the shower. The shower alone has a panel with more than a hundred options you can choose from. You can regulate the water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils and massaging sponges. I walk back out of the bathroom and find Steve examining the small speaker perched on my desk. He looks up at me and smiles.

"To order food." He says by a way of explanation. "All you have to do is whisper a type of food into this and it appears, hot and steamy and fresh within a minute." Steve says gesturing towards the small microphone. A smile suddenly appears on my face, and Steve mimics me. "Ladies first." Steve moves out of the way and I step up taking the device in my hand.

Moments later Steve and I walk around the room eating goose liver and puffy bread until there's a knock on the door. Effie's calling us for dinner, we can hear the clicking of heels when she leaves. "Good, I'm starving." I announced leaving the dirty plates on the bed. Steve starts to clean it up, but I stop him. "Someone will come and get it. Come on." I intertwine our fingers and walk out of the room. The closer we get to the dining room the looser our fingers get. We're not in contact anymore by the time we reach our destination. Effie, Phil and Maria are standing out on a balcony that overlooks the Capitol when we enter. I sigh in relief when my eyes land on the stylists, particularly after I hear that Haymitch will be joining us. A meal presided over by just Effie and Haymitch is bound to be a disaster. Besides, dinner isn't really about food, it's about planning out our strategies, and Phil and Maria have already proven how valuable they are.

Haymitch shows up just as dinner is being served. It looks as if he's had his own stylists because he's clean and groomed and about as sober as we've ever seen him. He doesn't refuse the offer of wine, but when he starts in on his soup I realized it's the first time I've ever seen him eat.

Will Haymitch really pull himself together long enough to help us?

Maria and Phil seems to have a civilizing effect on Haymitch and Effie. They're addressing each other decently at least and they both have nothing to say, but praise our stylists for our opening act. Haymitch then brings up our holding hands scenario. "Whose idea was it anyway?"

"Coulson's" Maria says immediately not bothering to look up from the phone she has in her hand, as well as Coulson. A spoon full goes into her mouth and once she swallows she continues, still not looking up. "We thought it was the perfect touch of rebellion. It was a very nice touch to their outfits." Rebellion? I know what Haymitch means. Presenting ourselves not as adversaries, but as friends has distinguished us as much as the fiery costumes.

After dinner, we all pile into the living room and Haymitch stands in front of us, mostly in front of Steve and I who share the same couch with an appropriate distance between us. A screen comes down from the ceiling and comes to rest a couple of inches above the floor, then an image pops up. The names come out of my mouth without my permission. "Tony Stark and Virginia Potts."

Haymitch nods and steps back to gesture to the two standing in front of their Justice Building. "From what I could gather about some of the tributes, Tony and Virginia- most people call Pepper- are really close. He's very protective of her and that's a weakness for him in these games. If you're going to take him down, you'll have to go after Virginia. He's a genius and a huge threat to you guys, Virginia not so much, but don't underestimate her when she's angry." Haymitch grabs the remote from the table and clicks a button, a new image settling on the screen. Steve and I recognize immediately as Bruce and Betty the tributes from district 2. "These two, they may look shy and quiet, but Bruce… all I'm saying is what you're back around him. He may look like he wouldn't hurt a fly, but never underestimate people. It'll get you a knife in the back. Betty, no threat and if I know better Bruce will do anything he can to protect her in these games." Another click of a button and we've skipped a district and district 4's tributes pop up. I feel myself shiver when my eyes land on the boy. There is an aura around him that makes me… wary at the mention of his name. "Clint Barton and Barbara Morse. There was not much information on either of them, only that they are well trained in the area of weapons and sparring. Clint Barton's weapon is using a bow and arrow and Barbara has a very unique skill set. The others may have been horrible, but don't let these two out of your sights. Also I suggest not considering them for allies." By the time we reach district 12 I'm overwhelmed by the new information and just want to go to bed. The screen shuts off after a picture of Steve and I standing in front of our justice building. Just the sight of it makes me homesick. I want to go home, but I know it will never happen and from the look on Steve's face I can tell he's homesick too.

I send him a glance and he nods confirming he knows what I'm thinking. I give a tiny smile and discreetly give his hand a firm squeeze before standing up. "As fascinating as this is I'm going to head in. Might as well sleep as many hours I can without having to worry about watching my back 24/7." I mean to say it with more malice, but considering how tired I am it doesn't come out as menacing. Winking at Steve I nod at the farewells that Effie, Phil and Maria throw at me, Phil and Maria neither looking up from their phones. What are they doing that's so important? Haymitch just nods his goodnight before leaving himself. Walking inside the hallway, I lean against the wall and wait for Steve to come join me. I'm scared that if the door closes it won't open and I'll have to spend the rest of the night without Steve. I don't have to wait long, a few moments later Steve steps into the hallway and I startle him by grabbing his hand in mine. He jumps, but relaxes once he realizes that it's just me. A smile spreads naturally on his face and I lead him down the hallway heading towards my room. I stop him and gesture for him to wait until I make sure no Capitol attendance are in my room and will see us. I'm about to call Steve in when a tall, dark skinned, man walks into my room carrying my costume from where I left it in the bathroom when I changed. My eyes widen when I forgot to give the costume to Coulson and I kick myself mentally for forgetting. I'm about to apologize when I remembered what Effie said at dinner.

I accidently knocked over a bowl of rice and it tumbled to the floor and before anyone could stop me I bent down to clean it. This man was by my side cleaning it up and our hands made contact before Effie pulls me up by the shoulder exclaiming "That's not your job Natasha!" That's when I was explained that these Capitol attendance were Avoxes. Avoxes are people that can't speak because their tongues were cut off because they did a crime. Treason to the Capitol which resulted in a bloody slab of importance being cut of their body. I felt bad for them seeing as they can never speak again and I can tell Steve did. I ask how to communicate with them and Effie replied that we don't. She sternly told me that Steve and I were to only address them if we have an order.

I open my mouth to say something and that's when the Avox finally notices me in the room. The position of his mouth makes me gulp and feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge… will that be me if I don't follow the rules in the games? Will I become a silent Avox and not be able to go home and see my family ever again? Maybe death is a better option than this. Waiting on the tributes of district 12 every year, watching them die and not being able to say a word.

Clearing my throat I force a smile and nod. "Thank you, I meant to give those to Phil. I must've forgot, can you give those to him?" He gives a nod and starts to leave, and I feel an urge to ask his name. I know he could never tell me personally, but he could write it out or act it out. Although that would probably end in punishment for him. Better if I just let him go.

Once the Avox is out of the room I go to collect Steve. I find him a couple doors down walking out of room and heading to me again. I smile at him and bring him into my room before anyone notices. "Sorry, didn't know he was going to be in here." Steve shrugs and sits on the bed pulling me down with him. I can feel a yawn coming on, but I force it down even though Steve sees past my attempt to conceal the yawn.

"Bedtime." Steve announces getting off the bed. Where is he going? "Good night Natasha." My eyes widen when I realize he's leaving me here. Alone. To face the night and nightmares that will plague my dreams. I open my mouth to ask him to stay, but nothing comes forth and I'm left trying to make sense of the incoherent thoughts in my head. Steve leans down and kisses my forehead before leaning back. He starts to leave, but I stop him and turn him around crashing our lips together. I can't let him go without a real kiss, maybe this will help with the dreams. After a few moments I pull away when I need to breath. Steve and I stand there gasping for air and I fix his crumpled shirt he changed into. Smiling up at him I nod for him to leave and he leans down to give me another peck on the lips.

The shred of safety I feel with Steve goes away once his presence and warmth does. My fingers subconsciously go to my lips and I'm left smiling like an idiot as I get ready for bed. My mind set on one person, the only person I'm allowed to think about because I'll never see my family again. _Steve._

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

Steve enters the room and the first thing that happens is the phone rings. Steve takes off his shirt and drops it on the bed before leaning down and picking it up. He whispers in a hushed tone, "Rogers."

"Captain Rogers, how is everything?"

"Everything is going according to plan sir."

"And Ms. Romanoff doesn't suspect nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Good that means your lovey dovey heart hasn't taken completely control over you."

"Sir, I am curious though. Are Effie and Haymitch apart of this as well?"

"God no. Miss. Trinket is far too passion and loyal to the Capitol. And Haymitch's a drunk, we don't need those kind of people. Just you Phil and Maria."

"I think I have an idea of how to put a stop on the games, although I doubt it will work. But it's work a try."

"Lay it on me."

Steve smiles largely.


	7. Chapter 7

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 7 **

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

I jump awake from my slumber by a huge scream that erupts the silent night. My thoughts immediately jump to Natasha and I'm scrambling out of bed trying to reach the door. Once I make it out of bed and to the door I yank it open and rush to the room and the closer I get, the louder the screams are.

_Natasha, Natasha, Natasha. Save Natasha, protect her from harm. Be there for her!_

When I get to her door, I shove open her door and stumble inside just when Natasha sits up, tears streaming down her pale face in the moonlight streaming through the windows. She breathes heavily as her hands runs through her red fiery hair and sweat drips down her face as she tries to get her heart rate back down.

When she calms down enough, she still doesn't notice me standing in the doorway watching, but she buries her head in her hands sobbing. It's very painful for me to just stand here watching her sit there in pain and not being able to help to prevent the tears.

I step out of the doorway into the room and closes the door making Natasha look up. "'Tasha" I whispers taking hesitant steps towards her not wanting to alarm or scare her. I put my hands out in front of me as if I were approaching a wounded child or animal. Natasha wipes her tears, but lets out a low whimper reaching out for me. She mutters something incoherent, her hand reaching out desperately.

"Steve." She whispers. In four quick strides, I makes it to the bed and pull Natasha up to hug her tightly. "It's alright." I whisper rubbing her arms comfortingly and kissing her head even resulting in rubbing circles on the small of her back. "Ssh, it was just a dream. Just a dream, you're safe and I won't let anyone hurt you." I promise staring down at her face when we pulls away. Using my thumb I wipe away the visible tears, even some in her eyes and caresses her cheek kissing away the wetness on her cheek. "I promise." It takes a while before she calms down. Her breath evens and the tears slowly clear away. I smile down at her. Sitting down on her bed and scooting her over, I lay her down. "Do you want to talk about it?" she shakes her head and just grips my hand tighter.

"No, I just want to be here with you." She whispers softly and looking down ashamed.

I put a finger under her chin and force her to look at me. "Hey, don't look ashamed. This is a lot to process. You're scared, everyone's scared. Even me. But that's nothing to be ashamed of." More tears start coming down her face which I kiss away easily before looking her into her eyes. "It just means you have a heart. And Natasha Romanoff, I know you have a huge one." She wraps her arms tightly around me and buries her face in my shirt muttering softly,

"Can you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course." Natasha scoots over and pats the space beside her which I take up when laying down beside her. Turning her back towards me she gets closer and closer and wraps my arms around herself. Sighing in content once she's in my arms I feel her shaking body start to relax and every once in a while I feel a slight kiss on my right hand which lays near Natasha's face.

"Thank you." Natasha murmurs before she falls back into a deep sleep. I smile down at her occasionally brushing hair out of her face and leaning down to brush my lips against her temple.

"Your welcome." I whisper even though Natasha is already asleep. Soon I feel myself falling after her and I'm out like a light.

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.

**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

I open my eyes, my eyes sweeping over to look at the clock.

8:00.

I frown. Well there's really no point in trying to get sleep now. My head rests on Steve's arm. A smile crosses my lips when I remember Steve coming in my room last night, but then I feel a blush crawling up my neck when I remember he also was the one that comforted me while I was crying. I turn, being careful not to disturb him, but he's already awake.

"No nightmares," he says. I give him a questioning stare which earns a chuckle from him. Brushing hair out of my face, Steve continues. "You didn't have any nightmares after I came in last night." I frown thinking back to last night trying to remember if I did have a dream. I didn't have a nightmare that's for sure, but I do remember having a dream. A good dream.

I nod my head smiling when I finally remember. "I had a dream though," I say thinking back. "I was back home, with my family. We were at the dinner table eating, my father was there too, and then after I was chasing Aiden around our front yard playing tag. That's when Brayden appeared and we went to the meadow. He said he had to tell me something, but… that's when I woke up. It was good dream, up until the time I woke up." I frown because I never got to know what Brayden wanted to tell me.

"What do you think he had to tell you?"

"I don't know, I woke up before he could say anything else, but I felt happy because I was home."

"Well you slept like you were happy." I nod and slowly drag myself out of bed and towards my dresser containing many different outfits for me to wear. Steve stands and bids me goodbye as he goes to get ready as well. I drag myself into the shower and arbitrarily punch buttons on the control board and end up hopping from foot to foot as alternating jets of icy cold and steaming hot water assault me. Then I'm deluged in lemony foam that I have to scrape off with a heavy bristle brush.

When I'm dried and moisturized with lotion I find an outfit has been left for me at the front of the closet. Tight black pants, a long sleeved burgundy tunic and leather shoes. I let my hair down, out the braid it's been in since my mother touched it. This is the first time since the morning of the reaping that I resemble myself. No fancy hair, clothes, no flaming capes and make up. Just me. Looking like I could be headed for the woods. I find a calming sense to my appearance in the long mirror hanging on the wall.

I walk out of my room and down the corridor towards Steve's room. Looking around I quickly knock on his door and it opens before my fist connects with the door a fourth time. I slip in the room and close it turning around. My breath hitches in my throat when I stand staring at the sight in front of me.

Steve Rogers without a shirt and his pants low fitted. Oh my god…

He turns around and grabs the shirt from the bed and smiles at me. When he smiles I turn my attention elsewhere in the room embarrassed that I got caught staring at him. I mentally scold myself before muttering an apology. Soon arms embrace me from behind. My own arms subconsciously reciprocate. A kiss is placed on my temple before Steve speaks,

"What time are we supposed to meet for breakfast?" I shrug. Haymitch didn't give us an exact time to meet for breakfast and no one has contacted me this morning. "I'm hungry." Steve says leaning his chin on my shoulder. That's make two of us, I think grabbing his hand and leaving the room.

We head down to the dining room hoping there will be food, but we're not disappointed with what we see. While the table is empty, a long board off to the side has been laid with at least twenty dishes. We remove our hands when we see someone enter the room, but relax once we see it's just an Avox. We load our plates with dozens of things from eggs, bacon, and sausage to batter cakes and fruits. We gorge ourselves, sitting across from each other and we sneak peeks at each other during breakfast waiting for the others to arrive soon. I'm nervous about the training. There will be three days in which all the tributes practice together. On the last afternoon, we'll each get a chance to perform in private before the Gamemakers. The thought of meeting the others tributes face-to-face makes me queasy.

I turn over the roll in my hand as my left leg bounces and I gnaw on my lip, my appetite gone. Steve reaches under the table and grabs my hand which lays on my right leg clutched in a tight fist. He massages it until I relax it and I can feel the blood start flowing again. I give him a tiny smile and he mouths 'Are you okay?'

I nod my head and give him a reassuring squeeze of the hand. Haymitch and Effie walk in when Steve finishes his fourth bowl of beef stew. I sit back and take in my breakfast companions, and I'm amused at how much food Steve has consumed since we came down.

When Haymitch has finished several platters of stew, he pushes back his plate with a sigh. He takes a flask from his pocket and takes a long pull on it and leans his elbows on the table. "So, let's get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now."

"Why would you coach us separately?" I ask.

"Say if you had a secret skill you might not want the others to know about." Says Haymitch. I exchange a look with Steve. He smirks at me and shakes his head.

"I don't have any secret skills. I barely have any, unless you count baking bread. And I already know yours Natasha." Steve says giving me another smirk. "I mean I've eaten enough of your kills."

I can't help, but be taken back by Steve's openness and honesty. I never thought about Steve eating the animals I've shot. Somehow I always pictured the baker quietly going off and frying them up for himself. Not out of greed, but because town families usually eat expensive butcher meat. Beef and chicken and horse. "You can coach us together." Steve says looking away from me. I nod in agreement. "I already know what Natasha can do. She's an excellent with weapons and is a great hunter. My father buys her animals. He says she hits them right in the eye every time. Never pierces the body, and it's the same with the rabbits she sells. She can even take down deer." The assessment of my skills from Steve takes me by surprised. First, that he ever noticed. Second, that's talking me up.

"What are you doing?" I ask him shocked.

"What are you doing? If he's going to help you, he has to know what you're capable of. Don't underrate yourself." Why is he doing this? Why is he putting me above himself? So Haymitch will sponsor me in the games, it doesn't matter we'll be allies. So he doesn't have to do this.

It takes me a minute longer to finally realize why he's doing this… he's already taking himself out of the games. He's not going to try so he's hoping Haymitch will keep me alive.

"What about you!? You say you can't do anything, but you can. I've seen you in the market, you can lift hundred pound bags of flour. Tell him that's nothing. It's not nothing."

Steve rolls his eyes and laughs drily. "Yes, I'm sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people. It's not like being able to use a weapon, you know it isn't." Steve says glaring at me.

"He can wrestle." I turn to Haymitch ignoring the stares I get from Steve. "He came in first in our school competition last year." I turn back to Steve who I can see is silently fuming. "There's always hand- to- hand combat. All you need is to come up with a knife and you'll stand a chance. If I get jumped I'm dead!"

"But you wont! You'll be living up in some tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows." Steve rolls his eyes at Haymitch. "She has no idea the effect she can have.

"Enough! Natasha, there's no guarantee there'll be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?"

"I know a few basic snares." I reply.

"That may be significant in terms of food," Haymitch says. "And, Steve she's right. Never underestimate strength in the arena. Very often, physical power tilts the advantage to a player. In the Training Center, they will have weights, but don't reveal how much you can lift in front of the other tributes. The plan's the same for both of you. You go to the group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don't know. Saving showing what you're best at until your private sessions. Are we clear?" Steve and I nod. "Another thing we need to clear up is, like I said on the train, make allies." Both Steve and I open to protest, but we could only get a few words in before Haymitch speaks over us. "You'll need them to survive the games. These kids look even more brutal and you'll need someone who'll have your back. Got it?" When Steve and I don't reply, Haymitch takes it as a chance to continue speaking. "One last thing… in public, I want you by each other's side every minute." I feel myself start to smile and I recompose myself, catching a glimpse of Steve trying to do the same. We both our mouths to object, but Haymitch slams his hand on the table. "Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie at the elevators at ten for training." Steve and I stand at the exact time and turn to leave Haymitch alone at the table.

I make sure to slam my bedroom door twice, one for Steve and one for me, loud enough for Haymitch to hear.

.

.

It's almost ten. I clean my teeth and smooth my hair back again. I find myself gnawing on my lip again as the nervousness about meeting the other tributes boils in my stomach. Stepping out of the room I find Steve pacing the room, his head bowed and hands clasped firmly behind his back. On his second time back he notices me and gives me a not convincing smile back. Walking up to him, I grab his hand and place it against my own lips.

"Come on, we've got to meet Effie." I walk out of my room, Steve following closely behind. By the time we meet Effie at the elevator, I find myself biting my nails. I stop at once.

The training rooms are down below ground building. With these elevators, the ride is less than a minute. The doors open into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacles courses.

Although it's not 10 yet, we're the last ones to arrive. The other tributes are gathered in a tense circle. They each have a cloth square with their district number on it pinned to their shirt. While someone pins the number 12 on my back I do a quick assessment. Steve and I are the only two dressed alike.

As soon as we join the circle, the head trainer, a tall, athletic woman named Atala steps up and begins to explain the training schedule. Experts in each skill will remain at their stations. We will be free to travel from area to area as we choose, per our mentor's instructions. Some of the stations teach survival skills, others fighting techniques. We are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute. There are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner.

When Atala begins to read down the list of skill stations, my eyes can't help flitting around to the other tributes. It's the first time we've been assembled on the level ground in simple clothes. My heart sinks. Almost of all the boys and few of the girls are bigger than I am, even though many of the tribute have never been fed properly. You can see it in their bones, their skin, and the hollow look in their eyes. I may be smaller naturally, but overall my family's resourcefulness has given me an edge in that area. I stand straight and while I'm thin, I'm strong. The meat and plants from the woods combined with the exertion it took to get them have given me a healthier body then most of those I see around me. The exception are the kids from the wealthier districts, the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment. The tributes from 1, 2 and 4 traditionally have this look about them. It's technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol, but it happens every year. In district 12, we call them the Career Tributes, or just the Careers. And more likely than not, the winner usually are one of them. From the looks Steve and I get around the circle we know the others are jealous, not because we were amazing, because our stylists were. Now I see nothing, but contempt in the glances of the Career Tributes. They project arrogance and brutality.

When Atala releases us, it shocks me when the tributes from district 1 and 2 head towards the less showy equipment. Tony heads towards the scraps of metal, junk, and tools that are available for tributes to make anything they would need to survive out of the things on the table. Pepper goes to the station a couple stations down from Tony, knot tying. Bruce and Betty walk over to the fire station where you try to build a fire out of anything without matches. However, District 4 doesn't disappoint. It doesn't shock me when they immediately go to the archery station and handles the bow and arrows with ease. The sight of Clint Barton shooting the arrow and hitting the target every time make shivers run down my back. I'm thinking that it's lucky that I'm a fast runner when Steve nudges my arm and I jump.

"Where would you like to start?" I look around at the Career Tributes who don't look like they're really showing off. With the exception of district 4, 8 and 9, whom Thor looks like he's having a swell time throwing punches that knock the Capitol assistance on his ass and Loki is having fun throwing daggers at the targets hitting them every time. The others, the underfed, the incompetent, shakily having their first lessons with a knife or an ax.

I see a few punches bags in the corner of the room that have clearly been abandoned by the other tributes. Steve's eyes land on them as well and he looks like he really wants to try some. "Punch bags?" I ask gesturing towards them. He nods and we're soon walking towards the bags until I feel someone's eyes on us. Turning my head I see the face a sweet little girl staring at us. She's look to be about 12 or 13, brown hair, brown eyes and pale skin compared to Steve's and mine. Her eyes are locked on Steve as he walks beside me making me look towards him and back. I nudge Steve's in the side and nods towards the direction of the little girl. "I think we have a shadow." Steve looks the way I'm staring and chuckles. He nods.

"She's from District 11, her name is Margaret Carter, but she likes to be called Peggy. She's twelve years old. Same reaction as Aiden when she was reapped, except… there was no one there to volunteer for her." I bite my bottom lip and watch as Steve raises a hand to wave to the girl. Once Margaret realizes we're caught her staring she blushes deep pink and disappears as quietly as she came. Steve smiles at me and we start our training when we reach our station.

.

.

During dinner Haymitch and Effie grill us throughout breakfast and dinner about every moment of the day. What we did, who watched us, how the other tributes sized us up and of course, if we're made any allies which our answer to that was always no. Coulson and Maria aren't around so there's no one to add any sanity to the meals. Not that Haymitch and Effie are fighting anymore. Instead they seem to be of one mind, determined to whip us into shape. Full of directions about we should do and not do in training. Steve is more patient, but I become aggravated. When we finally escape and make it to Steve's bedroom on the second night, Steve wants to stop by his room and take a quick shower before bed, but I don't let him. There's a shower in my room anyway. After his shower Steve joins me to sit on the edge of the bed pulling me to his side when my shoulder sag. While he was in the shower, I had time to think and I mainly thought of home and what my mother and Aiden were doing. Thinking of my family only made me homesick and with Steve's arm around my shoulder I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity for a moment.

Kissing my head he whispers, "Are you okay?" I nod my head and turn my head slightly up at him. I debate on whether I should tell him what I was thinking, but I decide against it at last minute.

"Yeah," I kiss his lips slightly then pull back. "Now I am." He doesn't need to know, besides I would feel selfish having to tell Steve my problems when he's dealing with the exact same thing as me. He's losing more than I am. I'm only losing my mother and brother and, maybe, Brayden. He has a mom, dad, two brothers and tons of friends. He doesn't need to add my problems on top of all of his. Steve smiles at me, oblivious to my thoughts, and nods towards the bed.

"Come on, bed time." Steve and I lay down and he holds me tight in his arms as we both fall asleep.

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On the third day of training, they start to call us after lunch for our private sessions with the Gamemakers. District by district, first the boy then the girl tribute. As usual, Steve and I being from District 12, we're slated to go last. We linger in the dining room, unsure where else to go. No one comes back once they have left. As the room empties, the pressures to appear friendly lighten. By the time they call Margaret, we are left alone. That's when I move from my seat to sit on Steve's lap. I bury my head in his shoulder and try to get my act together. I have no idea what I'm going to do. I wonder what Steve's going to do. "Steve?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you going to do?" He shrugs rubbing my arms and sighing deeply.

"I don't know, possibly throw a couple of weights around. Knot tie, possibly throw a couple of daggers around. Something. You?"

"I don't know, I-"

"_District 12, Steve Rogers, please report for individuals assessment. District 12, Steve Rogers, please report for individuals assessment."_

"You'll figure out something." He whispers in my ear before planting a kiss on my forehead. "You always do." Steve gently urges me off his lap and I do so instantly. He rises and starts walking towards the door. Before he walks through the doors he turns back to me with a reassuring smile. I find myself walking over to him when he does. Straightening out the collar of his polo shirt, I whisper to him, "Remember what Haymitch said about being sure to throw weights. Pick up the heaviest you can, but don't try to lift what is too heavy for you. Throw them high and as far as you can."

"Thanks, I will." Steve says distractedly. He didn't appear to be listening to what I had to say about the weights. It's obvious his mind is on something else and I have a feeling it's about what he's going to do for his private session. From the sound of his tone, I don't think he's planning on throwing any weights. "You… aim straight and show them what you can do. You can do a lot Natasha, don't hold back." Steve smirks at me and walks through the doors.

After about 15 minutes they call my name. I smooth my hair, set my shoulders back, keep all emotions out of my face and walk into the gymnasium. Instantly, I know I'm in trouble.

They've been here too long, the Gamemakers. Sat through 23 other demonstrations. Had too much wine, most of them and want more than anything to go home. There's nothing I can, but continue with the plan. Only when an idea comes to mind, I couldn't hold back. An evil smirk crosses my face, this will sure to get their attention. Without acknowledging them I turn and head straight for the knot tying and get a length of rope. I start to manipulate it, but it's difficult because when Steve and I tried to learn it, I couldn't do it. I've only watched the trainer's and Steve's clever fingers, and they moved so fast. It takes a few minutes, but I make a noose. I drag one of the target dummies out into the middle of the room and, using some chinning bars, hang it so it dangles by the neck. I tie it's hands behind it backs and head over to the weapons table containing an unimaginable amount of weapons. My eyes home in on a gun immediately and tasers. _Perfect!_ I grab them immediately, and that's when I see knives. It would add a nice touch to what I'm going to do, but I think I'm running out of time. Looking around the room, I find a good tall tree sitting on the fire making station. Running to it I climb up to the tallest tree branch it has which has a far enough distance from the dummy in the middle which would make what I'm going to do even more impressive. Making it to the top, I draw my tasers and throw one towards the dummy without even looking, and when I do it lands on the groin and I find myself giggling despite what I'm doing. Throwing another it lands on the head and the last one it lands on the heart. Just as I lift my gun to shoot at it a couple of times my eyes wander over to the gamemakers to gauge their reactions so far. Only when I do, my eyes burn with so much anger and hatred, I start to breath heavily, my chest heaving.

THEY ARENT EVEN FUCKING LOOKING AT ME! I'm doing all this and I only have a few of their eyes on me. Suddenly I'm furious, that with my life on the line, they don't even have the decency to pay attention to me. I start shaking in anger and my body reacts before my mind does. Growling, I back up until my back hits the tree and taking a running leap off of it, shooting bullets at them as I fall to the ground. The last bullet is shot out of the gun and I watch it make its way to the Gamemakers and, shockingly, shot in the middle of the red apple that was in their roasted pig's mouth. When I'm near the floor, I curve my body inwards and roll forward landing on my right knee and having my hands stop me from falling forward. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. I glare at the ground trying to control my angered breathing. Once I've calmed down enough I slowly raise my head. All eyes are on me now, staring at me with disbelief. Standing up, I lean forward in a mocking bow and through gritted teeth spit out at them, "Thank you, for your consideration." I walk straight towards the exit without being dismissed.

As I stride towards the elevator, I throw the empty gun behind and the left over tasers over both my shoulders. I brush past the gaping Avoxes who guard the elevators and hit the number twelve button with my fist. The doors slide together and I zip upward. I actually make it back to my floor before the tears start running down my cheeks. I can hear the others calling me from the sitting room, but I fly down the hall into my room, bolt through the door and fling myself onto my bed. Now I've done it! I've ruined my chances at surviving these games! If I'd stood even a ghost of a chance, it vanished when I shot those bullets at the Gamemakers. What will they do to me?

Forget about me, what will they do to my family? Everything I care about! If they found out about Steve and I, would they punish him for what I did? Will they arrest my family and Steve? Execute me? Cut my tongues and turn me into an Avox so I can wait on the future tributes of Panem? What was I thinking, shooting at the Gamemakers!? Of course, I wasn't, I was shooting at their roasted pig and wine glasses. If I were aiming at them, they'd be dead by now because I sure wouldn't have missed.

What does it matter, I would have never survived the games anyway. I had no chance to my competitors. Who cares what they do me? I'm just worried about my family, will they take their few belongings or send my mother to prison and Aiden to the community home or kill them? They wouldn't kill them, would they? Why wouldn't they? What do they care? Maybe if I stayed and apologized for what I had done nothing would happen. Pretend to laugh it off and act like it was meant to be a joke, but no. I stalked out of the place in the most disrespectful manner possible without being dismissed.

I cry in my pillow wanting Steve's arms around and when there's a knock on my door I shoot straight up in hopes of Steve walking in, that's when I see the door start to open. "Natasha?" Steve's voice whisper into the dark room. I sniff and wipe my tears giving Steve back a shaky,

"Y-Yeah?" He walks into the room and closes the door. Taking a few quick strides he makes it to my sides and stares down at me, the saddest expression on his face. A hand reaches up to caress his cheek and he sits down next to me. Once he does I can feel the heat radiating off his body and that's when I realize how cold I am. I lean into his touch and press my face into his chest sobbing hard.

"Tasha… what happened? Why are you crying?" He asks using his other hand and wiping away the tears streaming down my face. I sob harder and try to speak over my sobs, but Steve doesn't allow me to until I've fully calmed down and I can talk without hyperventilating. "There, now what happened?" He asks when he lays me down next to him. He stays sitting and stares down at me his hand subconsciously rubbing my hair down. This seems like a normal gesture I don't want him to stop, he doesn't.

I explained to him everything that happened since I entered the training center. Getting worked up when I get to the part about shooting bullets at the Gamemakers, but Steve stops me from continuing and lets me calm down again, before letting me continue. Once I'm done explaining everything I actually feel better. The pressure on my chest lightens and I allow myself a smile when Steve chuckles softly. Sniffing I wipe my tears and crack a smile.

"What?"

"Nothing it's just… I'm just imaging what their facial expressions where like. What happened when you sent those bullets flying at them?"

"Shocked, terrified. Uh, ridiculous, some of them." An image pops into my mind. "One man tripped backwards into a bowl of punch." Steve guffaws and we both start laughing. Until a thought enters my mind, "Do you think they'll arrest me?" Steve immediately stops laughing and shakes his head no.

"Doubt it, be a pain to replace you at this stage."

"What about my family!?" I shout abruptly sitting up, but Steve's arms encircle me lowering me back onto the bed.

"They won't, wouldn't make much sense. See, they'd have to reveal what happened in the Training Center for it to have any worthwhile effect on the population. People would need to know what you did. But they can't since it's supposed to be a secret, so it'd be a waste of effort. More likely they'll make your life hell in the arena."

"They already promised to do that to us anyway," I mutter trying to process Steve's words. From the look on his face he knows I'm not convinced enough.

He sits there comforting, whispering reassuring words into my ears and assuring me that my family is going to be okay. After a while of listening to him I actually start to believe him and a smile crosses my features. Sitting up I unexpectedly throw my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek, tears slowly coming to an end. "Thank you." I whisper softly.

"Always." He whispers back placing a hand on the small of my back.


	8. Chapter 8

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 8**

"I don't want allies in the arena, just you." I whisper against Steve's neck as I hover over him, our lips inches from each other. "I only want to be with you."

Steve smiles at me and nods, an arm behind his head as the other lays on my waist. "Okay, if that's what you want."

"That's what I want." I lean down to press a soft kiss to his lips and smile softly brushing his hair from his face.

Too soon Effie taps on the door to call me to dinner, I decide we might as well go. The scores will be televised tonight. It's not like I can hide what happened forever.

Slowly I get out of bed, doing my best to rid myself of tears before turning to face Steve. I frown when my eyes land on his soaked t-shirt. There are tear stains everywhere and if he goes out there like that and I walk out with a red and blotchy face, they're going to know. Steve's eyes follow my gaze and the corner of his mouth turns up slightly at the sight.

"I'm sorry." I apologize, unable to look him in the eye. I keep my head down until feet appear in my line of vision and a hand touches my chin. Slowly, Steve pulls me to look into his eyes giving me a soft smile.

"No need to be sorry, I'll meet you out there in a little." He leans down to kiss me on the cheek before turning and exiting the room. Taking a deep breath and trying to get rid of the remaining tears I go to the bathroom and wash my face, but it's still red and splotchy from me crying. Hopefully no one notices and if they do, they won't call me out on it.

Exiting the bedroom, I look up and down the hallway for Steve. "Steve," I whisper quietly heading down to his door. I knock once before letting myself in, only to freeze in my spot at the sight in front of me.

Steve turns around once he hears the door open and calms down immediately when he sees it's just me, but I don't move. Oh my Jesus… Steve Rogers in standing right in front of me with no shirt on, his muscles flexing when he reaches out for the new shirt on his bed. My eyes, without permission, start wandering up and down his body checking him out. My eyes land on Steve's baby blue once my eyes make it to his neck, past his soft lips and to his eyes. He raises an eyebrow and that's when I blush heavily, he noticed me looking at him. Diverting my eyes, I turn my attention to floor.

"Sorry," I mutter still feeling a hotness on my cheek. Steve chuckles and soon arms wrap around my waist and I'm pressed against his warm chest. Closing my eyes, an unwanted moan escapes my lips. Damn him. Steve kisses my cheek and I turn around in his arms, my arms circling around his neck. With my body pressed against Steve's bare chest I start to get a little turned on, but I force myself to keep my emotions in check. If only Steve would help make it a little easier then I'd be able to do it with success.

Steve chuckles and leans down to press his lips against mine. "You know, so far I've been the only one with the shirt off. I find that a little unfair and think it's time you should make it fair and square." I smack him playfully on the arm and we both laugh after a quick peak to the temple. "Just kidding," Steve says as he slips his shirt over his head and over his body. "Ready for dinner? Effie has knocked on my door three times already." I nod and press my face into his chest before taking a deep breath and pulling him along to the door.

Opening the door I peek my head out searching for anyone in the hall. When it's clear Steve and I slip out quickly and make out to the dining room.

Everyone is waiting at the table, even Phil and Maria. I wish the stylists hadn't shown up because for some reason, I don't like the idea of disappointing them. It's as if I've thrown away all the good work they did on the opening ceremonies without a second thought. I avoid looking at anyone as I take tiny spoonfuls of fish soup. The saltiness reminds me of my tears and I bow my head, searching for Steve's hand under the table. Once our fingers are intertwined, Steve gives me a reassuring squeeze and I squeeze back giving a small, discreet smile.

The adults begin some chitchat about the weather forecast. Then, as they're serving the main course, I hear Haymitch say "Okay enough small talk, just how bad were you today?" making me look up into his eyes. I exchange a look with Steve. Somehow I'm not that eager to put what I did into words. In the calm of the dining room, it seems very extreme. Although I don't know what's making Steve hesitate, come to think of it I don't even know what he did in his private session. I was too caught up worrying about mine that I forgot to ask him. He must have probably thrown around a couple of weights, nothing to anger the Gamermakers like I did. "You first," I say pushing my food around my plate, not really feeling hungry at the moment.

Steve seems to be struck with the same reluctance I'm experience, but he's more willing than I am to share. Quickly and softly Steve whispers, "I hung Seneca Crane."

…

My mouth drops open in shock as the adult's eyes fall open in disbelief. Steve's news seems to have a desired effect. After a moment of disbelief, all the disapproval in the room hits him like a ton of bricks and the tension thickens to where I could easily cut it with a knife. My eyes stay planted on Steve's face as the news sink in. Maria is the first to recover enough to speak,

"You… hung… Seneca Crane?" she says slowly and skeptically as if she's tasting the words. Seneca Crane, the head Gamemaker for the 73th annual Hunger Games and has been for the past 25 years. His last year being a gamermaker was last year's. No one knows what happened to him, but he suddenly disappeared. I had a suspicion he was executed, but never really knew what really happened.

Steve is easily singling himself out of the games. Even if the Gamemakers weren't big fans of Seneca, that kind of action screams rebellion, something no tribute is allowed to express. I can't help my face from showing the concern and fear I feel for him. Why would he do that? He has a chance, he can win if he tried, but he's not. I want to yell at him, scold him for already killing himself out of these games. He has to try, he can't just die. But even though it worries me, I think what he did was amazing. It shocking that Steve, the all round perfect American boy, was capable of something like this.

Steve nods his head slowly, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest after throwing his napkin on his plate. "I don't know that it even mattered. By the time I showed up, no one even bothered to look at me. They were singing some kind of drinking song, I think. So I threw around some heavy objects until my temper got the best of me. When I looked up, no one was looking at me and I just got… aggravated. I was acting before thinking and I started to makeshift a noose. I grabbed one of the target dummies and headed to the middle of the room. Somehow when I was done, Seneca Crane was on the other end of my noose." It makes me feel a little bit better that Steve was also frustrated with the little attention he was given. But it's not like Steve attacked them physically, only mentally. At least he was provoked too.

"Oh Steve," says Effie in a hushed voice, "How did you even know about that?" That explains the adult's behavior. The silence, especially from Haymitch, and their refusal to even pick up their fork.

Steve shrugged, "Didn't seem like a secret. I was training and heard some things from the other tributes. Turns out, his death was the topic of their conversation yesterday."

Effie presses a napkin to her eyes and shakes her head, "This is dreadful. That sort of thinking… it's forbidden Steve. Absolutely. You'll only bring down more trouble on yourself."

"I have to agree with Effie on this one." Haymitch says. Phil and Maria remain silent, but their faces are very serious and they sneak glances at each other as if they were having their own silent, nonverbal conversation they seem to do a lot. Steve doesn't deserve the disapproving looks he's getting, I should.

"I guess this is a bad time to mention I shot bullets and threw knifes at the gamemakers." I say abruptly unable to stop myself once I opened my mouth.

There's silence… and more silence.

"You what?" The horror in Effie's voice confirms my worse suspicions.

"I shot bullets and threw knives at them. Not exactly at them. In their direction. It's like Steve said, I was shooting and they were ignoring and I just… I just lost my head, so I shot an apple out of their stupid roast pig's mouth!" I say defiantly.

"And what did they say?" Phil says slowly and carefully.

"Nothing. Or I don't know. I walked out after that."

"Without being dismissed!" Effie gasps in disbelief.

"I dismissed myself," I say annoyance slowly starting to creep its way into my voice. I remember how I promised Aiden that I really would try to win and I feel like a ton of coal has dropped on me. I try hard to remember Steve's soothing words from before, but the image of the Gamemaker's stunned faces makes me believe otherwise. Especially the new head Gamemakers face, Plutarch Heavensbee.

I can't seem to stop the question from rolling off my tongue, but I've got to hear Haymitch's answer. "Do you think they'll arrest my family? Will they punish them?"

"No, wouldn't make much sense." Haymitch says shrugging nonchalantly. "More likely they'll make your life hell in the arena."

"We'll they've already promised to do that to us." Steve corrects.

"Very true," Haymitch picks up a pork chop with his fingers, which makes Effie frown, and dunks it in his wine. He rips off a hunk of meat and starts to chuckle. "What were their faces like?"

I can feel the edges of my mouth tilting up as I give Haymitch the same response I gave Steve. "Shocked. Terrified. Uh, ridiculous, some of them. One man tripped backwards into a bowl of punch." Everyone around the table starts to laughing, except Effie although even she is suppressing a smile. The tension slowly eases its way out of the room and leaving nothing, but a peaceful feeling.

"We'll it serves them right. It's their job to pay attention to you and just because you come from District Twelve is no excuse to ignore you." Effie says wiping her mouth with a napkin.

I realize the impossible has happened. They have actually cheered me up and because the stress if off me, I'm starving. I cut off a piece of pork and dunk it in mashed potatoes and start eating. All is well and even if I do get a bad score, it won't matter much because my life is going to be hell in the arena. My family is safe.

After dinner, we gather around the television set to watch the announcement of the scores. The tributes' faces come up, district by district and their score flashes under their picture. The Career Tributes naturally get in the eight to ten range. Most of the other players average a five. It goes in the same order all the time, one through twelve, boy first then girls. As the announcement starts it's no surprise that Tony, Barbara (Bobbi) and Clint get a 10 while Pepper, and Betty manage a 7. Surprisingly Bruce manages an 11. Whatever the girls and him showed them it must have been impressive considering how innocent and small they looked compared to the other tributes.

Surprisingly, little Margaret comes up with a 9. I don't know what she showed the judges, but she's so tiny it must have been impressive.

District 12 comes up last, as usual. I find myself leaning forward when Steve's picture shows up on the screen, and crossing my fingers behind my back. _Please don't give Steve a bad score, give him some chance of winning these games._ I find myself biting my bottom lip hard as a number eleven pops up under his face.

Eleven!

Effie lets out a squeal and everybody is slapping him on the back and cheering and congratulating Steve. I'm so shocked I cant even get out a proper sentence. "Congrats Steve." I barely manage. He blushes pink and nods his thanks.

"There must be a mistake. How… how could that happen?" Steve asks in shock.

"Guess they liked your temper. They've got a show to put on and they need some victors with some heat. You can tell they are betting on you and Natasha to be the highlight of their show."

"Wait! Natasha's score still needs to be announced!" Effie says turning her attention on the screen. When I turn I see my face pop up on the screen. My eyes widen and I dig my fingernails into the palms of my hand expecting the worse. I'd close my eyes, but I can't seem to pull my eyes away from the screen. Then, as I take a deep breath of air, they're flashing the number twelve on the screen.

Twelve!

My mouth drops open and I'm left dumbstruck. A twelve!

But.. but that's… that's impossible. I almost killed them, well I never intentionally meant to, just like severely injury them.

"Why did they do that?" I whisper, eyes attached to the screen that fades away.

"Same thing as Steve, they want victors who will make their show interesting. Congrats sweetheart." His use of endearment pulls out of my trance and I scowl at him. He chuckles and raises a glass full of wine, the most alcohol he's consumed since we started training.

"To Captain Rogers and the deadly widow." Steve and I laugh at the nickname Maria gave us and Steve shakes his head no.

"No, not deadly widow." Phil interrupts. He turns his attention on me and thinks hard about something for a while. Soon he opens his mouth again, "Actually she would fit the name 'Black Widow' better." I raise an eyebrow at him and put my hands on my hips.

"Really?" Then suddenly a name pops in my mind. "What about Captain America?" I say abruptly sending all eyes on me.

"What?" Phil asks curiously.

"Captain America? It will compliment Steve nicely. I used the first part of the name you gave him because he is really good at strategy, I learned in the training room, and would make a great leader." Red starts creeping up his neck and he waves off my compliment. So like Steve, full of modesty. "America because he is a golden boy. Everyone in district 12 wants to be him. He's smart, well- mannered, funny, hot and-"I stop short when four pairs of eyes raise their eyes in curiosity and that's when I realize what I've done.

_Shit!_ I laugh nervously and shoot Steve a 'help me' look. Steve nods and speaks towards Effie having her eyes divert from me to him. "Effie?"

"Yes dear?"

"I think this is something to celebrate."

"Your right!" She shouts standing from her spot and rushing towards the kitchen. "It's not every year I get a pair of tributes to make it over a score of 10! Especially one that makes a 12. This is definitely something to celebrate. Maria, would you be a dear and come help me." Maria eyes me suspiciously, something that she seems to do a lot with Steve and I. As if she knows something, but just won't say anything.

I shift uncomfortably under her stare and relax as soon as she replies, "Sure." Maria stands and walks out of the room leaving it only Haymitch, Phil, Steve and I.

"Natasha Romanoff," I hear Phil whisper under his breath. "The Black Widow." A smile spreads across his face and he's nodding. "I like it. Wait till you see your interview dress!"

"More flames?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.

"Of a sort," he says mischievously.

After a really big celebration party I finally slip away out of the others stares after sending Steve a wink. He nods and turns to finish his conversation with Phil. When entering my room I run to the bed and burrow down in the covers. The stress of the day, particularly the crying, had worn me out. I try to keep my eyes open and myself occupied to avoid sleep until Steve got here. It doesn't take long for someone to knock on my door. Sliding out of bed I rush to the door and yank it open throwing myself at him.

Steve catches me laughing and spins me around while entering the room, shutting the door with his foot. "Congratulations" we say in unison laughing. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

"Sorry I couldn't give you a proper celebration." Steve shrugs and sits down on the bed.

"Sorry I couldn't give you one either." I lean down and press our lips together. Our kiss is broken apart when there's a knock on the door. Steve and I pull away instantly and we untangle ourselves by the time the owner of the knock speaks,

"Natasha, could we talk?" It's Maria. I raise an eyebrow at Steve and he shrugs gesturing for me to answer.

"Um.. y-yeah, give me a second." I reply back motion for Steve to hide in the bathroom. Once he's secure and any evidence of his whereabouts is hidden I walk to the door, straighten my cloths and open the door. "Hi."

"Hi, may I come in?" She asks, her hands behind her back and her shoulders set straight as if she were in the military. I look up and down the hallways subconsciously and nod my head. She enters and takes a seat on my bed. I stay standing and look down at her expectantly.

She doesn't say anything.

I take the time to actually examine her because I never had the chance too since I've gotten here. She's way different then the creepy Capitol people that live here. She's exactly like Phil. No makeup, no crazy hair styles, her skin isn't dyed. She actually looks normal. Her hair stays in its usual high bun which seems to be her trademark. I once recall asking if she could style Maria's hair to which she promptly and politely said no.

Finally, once the silence starts to get uncomfortable I open my mouth to say something, until she beats me to it. "I'm going to be straight with you. No sugarcoating." I nod my head and wait patiently as she collects her thoughts. Her head then snaps to something under my mattress, and reaches out to grab it. I'm confused about what she's reaching for until she pulls it out.

_Oh shit! _Maria nods, "I suspected." I bit my bottom lip and look down avoiding Maria's accusing stare as she holds up what I forgot to stuff further into the mattress. Steve's shirt that I use for PJs. She tosses the shirt towards me and walks to stand in front of me. I catch it and hide it behind my back sighing and putting my head down.

"You now know, so." I begin. "What do you want? Are you going to tell? Make sure the Gamemakers target us and break us apart in the arena. Make sure we're killed, right in front of each other, and that we have no choice, but to watch." The door to the bathroom opens and Steve's steps out his concerned eyes landing on me. My hand comes up to wipe a stray tears and that's when I realize their shaking. I turn my attention back on Maria whose eyes seem to stay planted on Steve. "Go ahead, go make your little games even more interesting by saying District 12's tributes are lovers because it won't matter to Steve and I." I meet Steve's eyes across the room again and a smile, despite the tears still in my eyes, spreads across my face. He smiles back. "We love each other and we both know the end is coming, so go ahead." I push past her and towards the bathroom needing the feeling of Steve's arms around me before I start crying again.

I knew that we were going to get caught. That someone would find out, but I still couldn't help that shimmer of hope inside me that Steve and I could possibly make it until the arena. We didn't care what happened in the arena, only that we were together and would protect each other as much as we can. I'd do anything for Steve if he were in danger and I know he'd do anything for me. My arms wrap around his waist immediately and I press my face into his chest as his hand comes to rest on my head and lower back. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay." Steve whispers softly into my ear.

…

"I'm not going to tell anyone." Maria speaks up after a moment of silence. I turn my head, aware of the tears on my face, towards her.

"W-What?"

"I'm not here to get gossip and spread around like most of these bozos here do." I can't help the laugh that escapes me or the smile that comes to my face. Steve chuckles beside me and Maria allows herself the smallest of smiles before continuing. "I just need to warn you, you both are in danger." I roll my eyes and Steve shakes his head.

"We already kind of know that." Steve says gesturing around us. "We're about to go into an arena, and one of us won't come out alive."

Maria shakes her head, "No, not that kind of danger. You two-"she cuts herself off and I pull away from Steve long enough to give her a questioning stare. We already know we're in danger, what is she talking about? "Just be careful." Maria says before she glances at Steve, turns and leaves the room.

"Wait Mar-"I frown when the door closes. What is she talking about? I look over at Steve and his expression changes as soon as my eyes land on his face. I couldn't read what his previous expression was, but now his face mask the same confusion I'm feeling. "What was that about?" He shrugs and pulls me towards the bed, his eyes still on the door.

"Come on, it's bed time." I lay down and pat the space next to me. Steve lays down and instantly wraps his arms around my waist.

I frown when I realize that trying to sleep is futile. After what Maria said, I can't stop from worrying. About mine and Steve's life. Looking at the clock I realize it's been an hour since we both laid in bed. Is Steve still asleep?

"Steve?" I whisper hoping to get an answer out of him. I smile when I hear him hum in reply. Turning around I find Steve wide awake, his eyes land on mine. A hand comes up to rest a hand on my cheek. "You okay? You're shaking." Steve comments pulling me closer to him. I place my forehead against his chest and close my eyes trying to put together my thoughts. Finally I whisper,

"What do you think Maria meant when she said we were in danger?"

"I don't know, but it's possibly nothing. She's from the Capitol, she was probably paid to say that to scare us. Don't worry about it 'Tasha. I won't let anyone hurt you." I smile and look up at him,

"And I won't let anyone hurt you." I lean up and press my lips to his softly. Pulling away I place my head back onto his chest. I debate on telling Steve want I want to tell him, because first it will be the first time I've said it to him directly and second, it's only been a couple of days. But I don't care, I really do love him. Closing my eyes I whisper softly against his chest, "I love you Steve."

There's silence and I'm beginning to regret what I said until Steve replies in a loving passionate voice "And I love you too" He presses a gentle kiss to my temple and I fall asleep with arms around me and the comfort of knowing that he feels the same way about me.

Steve Rogers loves me.

And I love Steve Rogers.


	9. Chapter 9

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 9**

Tomorrow night will be our televised interviews. Today is all about readying Steve and I for our interviews. The day before the arena, the tributes have a chance to say their last words and thoughts on stage in front of all of Panem. To do anything in their power to earn at least one sponsor with their personalities, if they're score was extremely low. Steve and I have four hours each with Effie and Haymitch. I'm going with Effie first.

I can't imagine what Effie will have to teach me that could take four hours, but she's got me working down to the last minute. We go to my room after breakfast and she puts me in a full-length gown and high-heeled shoes, not the ones I'll be wearing for the actual interview, and instructs me on walking. The shoes are the worst part. I've never worn high heels and can't get use to the essentially wobbling around on the balls of my feet. But Effie runs around in them full-time, and I'm determined that if she can do it, so can I. The dress poses as another problem. It keeps tangling around my shoes so, of course, I hitch it up and then Effie swoops down on me like a hawk, smacking my hand and yelling, "Not above the ankle!" When I finally conquer walking, there's still sitting, posture- apparently I have a tendency to duck my head- eye contact, hand gestures and smiling. Oh god… lots and lots of smiling. Smiling is mostly about smiling more. Effie makes me say a hundred banal phrases starting with a smile, while smiling or ending with a smile. By lunch, the muscles in my cheeks are twitching from overuse.

"Well that's the best I can do," Effie says with a sigh. "Just remember Natasha, you want the audience to like you." I open my mouth to smart off to her, but close it seeing as there is no point to it. Effie always wins.

"I'm going to eat," I kick off my heels and stomp down to the dining room, hiking the skirt up to my thighs.

When I enter the room Steve and Haymitch seem to be in good moods, so I'm thinking the content session should be an improvement over the morning. I couldn't be more wrong. After lunch, Haymitch takes me into the sitting room, directs me to the couch and then just frowns at me for a while. Usually I have a lot of patience because of Aiden, but after what I just experienced with Effie, my patience has run down.

"What?" I snap.

Haymitch shakes his head and sighs, "I'm trying to figure out what to do with you. How are we going to present you? Are you going to be charming? Aloof? Fierce? So far, Phil made you look unforgettable. You've got the top training score. People are intrigued, but no one knows who you are. The impression you make tomorrow will decide exactly what I can get you in terms of sponsors."

Having watched the tribute interviews all my life, I know there's truth to what he's saying. If you appeal to the crowd, either by being humorous or brutal or eccentric, you gain favor. "What's Steve's? Or am I not allowed to ask?"

"Likeable. He has a sort of self- deprecating humor naturally. Whereas when you open your mouth you come across more sullen and hostile."

"I do not!"

"Please. I don't know where you pulled that cheery, waving girl on the chariot from, but I haven't seen her before or since." Haymitch shoots back.

"And you've give me so many reasons to be cheery," I say crossing my arms across my chest.

"But you don't have to please me. I'm not going to sponsor you. So pretend I'm the audience. Delight me."

"Fine!"

It takes a while, but finally Haymitch decides on an angle for me. Mysterious, leaning towards deadly. Since I didn't give full answers to Haymitch's many questions and I look like I want to murder someone he'll go with mysterious. If I could mystify the audience and sponsors it might make well for gaining more sponsors, along with having a 12 for my score.

.

.

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

The door opens and Maria is staring at me as if she expected my appearance on her doorstep. "Hello, Steve."

"Why did you come to Natasha's room yesterday?" I want to be blunt about it, no point in sugarcoating it. She already knows why I'm here although I keep my voice low, but loud enough for Maria to hear. "You could've blown our cover! You know damn well Natasha has no knowledge of what we're about to face. Hasn't he contacted you?"

Maria shushes me looking up and down the corridor before allowing me entrance. She closes and locks the door, even drawing the curtains for good measure. "Yes I'm well aware of what is happening," she whispers turning around. "Coulson and I both are. We are a part of this too, and have gathered more information since the last time we talked. I came because there is more then what you already know. You're in danger Steve, and Natasha… it's not safe for you both anymore."

I scoff and start pacing the room. "I already know about the danger, but it won't matter to me since I won't be getting out of this arena alive whereas Natasha will. She has too."

"Steve you don't realize how much we need you on this, you can't die in that arena-"Maria starts, but I cut her off completely angry.

"What other choice do I have?!" I shout throwing my arms up in the process. She doesn't even flinch at my rising volume, only stares at me with an emotionless mask with her arms clasp firmly behind her, her shoulders set back almost like a soldier. "I have no other choice Maria! You know that at least half the tributes will be after us and will definitely try to kill her because of her score-"

"And you know that the other half are going to do anything they can to protect her." Maria counters moving closer and placing a hand on my shoulder to keep me in place. "The ones that want this plan to work, that want this shitty place to burn to the ground. I know I would lay down my life to protect Natasha if there was hope. If there was hope to change our lifestyle and if there was a chance that these games would end."

"That won't be enough." I growl at her, anger completely taking over my body. She seems unfazed by behavior and shrugs.

"It might be. Steve you can protect her, but you'll only make things worse by killing yourself off. We need you too, you're a huge part of this plan and if you're dead, what good will this be. It will just be a waste."

I shake my head and start pacing again, ignoring Maria's eyes on me. They can issue this without me. They won't need me, no one will need me. They only need Natasha. "No it won't be a waste, you'll have Natasha."

"And what can Natasha do without you? If you die, she dies on the inside. You've seen what death can do to people. You know firsthand. You love her and she loves you. Love is weird and works in mysterious ways. If you die, she won't want to do anything except join you. Who's going to stop her from killing herself once you're gone?" Maria counters, her voice rising slightly with every sentence. I sit down on the edge of her couch and place my head in between my knees.

"Stop it," I warn trying to block out her reasoning.

She doesn't. "No one will be able to Steve, she'll kill herself. I saw the love in her eyes yesterday when she was talking about you. She said she'd do anything she can to protect you. Your safety, to her, is far more important than her own and if that means she dies in order for you to live, what do you think she'll do? The arena is a ticking bomb Steve; it ticks away your guys' lives. Once you're in the arena, the rest of the world will become distant to you and Natasha. You'll only have each other and with that much trust, there is bound to be some sacrificing happening."

I close my eyes tighter and try to fight the images that plague my mind just thinking about being the arena. I bit my bottom lip and growl at her. "Stop Maria!"

She bends down beside me and places a hand on my shoulder. "You can't die." Tears start rolling down my face unwillingly and shake my head to clear my thoughts. After a moment of silence I look up into Maria's eyes and she gives me a knowing look. "They'll need you once this is over, Captain your entire country will need you. Including Natasha. Don't kill yourself for her; you won't be doing anyone any favors, least of all her."

"I'm scared Maria." I admit weakly looking back down at the ground. "What if I can't protect her? What if she dies and I live? We can't do this without her and I can't live without her." No words come out of Maria's mouth, but what she does next shocks me. Maria sits down next to me and pulls me in a tight hug, resting her head on my shoulder. I hesitant at first, but finally wrap my arms around her waist and putting my head in the crook of her neck. Her hand comes up to rest on my head and the other rubs circles into my back. I sob silently into her shoulder and allow her to offer some comfort.

Ever since I meet Maria I never knew her to be comforting and supportive. She always seemed cold, emotionless and strong. Before I even knew her I, for some stupid reason, started comparing her to my mother. My abusive, alcoholic mother. Maria is far more beautiful than my mother, younger, stronger, and definitely knows how to kick ass, she showed me the first day I met her. I always admired and respected her as a fighter and as a woman. But if someone told me back then that in the future I'd be sitting on Maria's couch crying into her shoulder, while she comforted me, I'd have probably laughed in their face thinking they were mental. I can never think of Maria being the same heartless women I thought she was.

It takes a while, but I finally calm down enough to actually speak without sobbing. Pulling away I wipe my tears and take deep breaths to calm myself so I can continue speaking. But after a while, I see it's no point in speaking. There are no words left. I just admitted weakness in front of one of the strongest women I know. When I look at her face I expect to see judgment and disapproval, but all I see if concern and a little bit of pity. Her hand comes up to rest on my face before brushing any hair out of my face. I don't say anything and neither does she. There is nothing left to say. I sniff and stand from my seat making my way over to the door. My hand touches the door knob when she calls my name.

I turn around to face her and she gives me a reassuring nod, no smile crossing her face nor the emotions leaving her face. "I know you're scared, but, there shouldn't be a reason you're ashamed. I see it in your eyes; you're embarrassed for showing weakness. You shouldn't be." I look down, but she forces me to look into her eyes again. I nod my head and mutter an incoherent 'thanks' as I stand to leave. Opening the door I step out and she stays planted in the doorway. "And Steve," I turn to her and she gives me a small smile. "You'll figure something out. You're a Captain. Your brave and strong and will do everything in your power to protect Natasha. I know you will. You won't fail her because you've made it this far and you haven't failed us." Maria gives me a wink before closing the door leaving me speechless on her doormat. The only thing that brings me out of my trance is the sound of footsteps coming my way.

Turning my head I find Natasha coming my way, a mischievous smile on her face. I force a smile on my face and wipe the remaining tears on my face, walking to meet up with her. She stops right in front of me and starts playing with my shirt collar. "Haymitch and I are done with our session and he says we have the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted."

"Whatever we want?" I ask and instantly regret speaking. My throat is dry making my voice sound thick because of my crying. Her smile falters and soon she's giving me a questioning stare, her face full of concern.

"Steve what's wrong? Have you been crying?" She says, putting both hands on either side of my face. She examines my face and I stay silent hoping she doesn't see anything. "Steve, baby, what's wrong?" Biting my bottom lip I try to come up with an alibi. She can't know the real reason why I was crying.

"Nothing, I just… I had a moment."

"A moment?" she asks, not really understanding my statement. I give her a tiny smile and peck her nose.

"Thinking about what will happen once we get into the arena." Natasha's face changes from concern to understanding. An 'ooh' passes through her lips and she pulls me into a tight hug, similar to the one Maria gave me. She holds me tight and places her face in my chest. My arms wrap around her waist and I lean down to press my forehead against the top of her head.

She nods and changes the subject, "What do you want to do Steve? Effie says we have 4 hours till dinner."

"I don't care, as long as I'm with you." She smiles and practically starts jumping up and down in joy.

"Phil showed me the rooftop and said we're allowed to go there. Can we?" I smile down at her and place a kiss on her temple nodding. She squeals and rushes out of the room pulling me with her.

For the next couple hours I'll try to get all my worries out of my head and only focus on what is right in front of me. No point in worrying if the games are in just three days. I'd rather spend these last few days with Natasha then worrying about the games. And I plan to.


	10. Chapter 10

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 10**

**(Natasha P.O.V)**

The day seems to go by extremely quickly, too quickly for my taste, but overall Steve and I had a wonderful day together. After our lessons with Effie and Haymitch we spent what little time we had left on the rooftop, talking about nothing in particular, but everything. We didn't speak about the painful topics such as our families, and home, but we did about our likes and dislikes. I learned a lot about Steve that day. More then I already knew. He knows how to cook, loves to draw, loves to watch the sunset and sunrise, always was an early riser and his favorite subjects in school were English and History. English because he loved to write and History because he was always interested in what happened before the games were issued as a mandatory rule in our world. Steve hates thunderstorms, doesn't like bullies, would befriend outcast saying that no one deserves to feel left out and would do anything to change our lifestyle, even if it means going into a war with the Capitol.

It isn't until that day that I realized it was so easy to talk to Steve. I told him all my fears, my goals and even my deepest darkest secrets that no one has ever known. Not even Brandon whom I told, almost, everything to. I trust Steve and it won't make a difference anymore. I'll be dead so it won't impact me. I told Steve about my hunting trips, how I would leave district 12 to go and hunt game for my family. What I say outside the fence of district 12 and what Brandon has expressed when we're alone in the woods. He doesn't seem unfazed by our conversations and looks to be smirking and agreeing completely to what I'm telling him. Talking to Steve is so much easier then talking to Brandon.

The next we spent the day the same. The roof. We ordered a bunch of food, grabbed some blankets and headed up there for a picnic. Turns out our little picnic turned into a full-day relaxation. What better way to spend our last day of relaxation together? Effie and Haymitch left the two of us completely alone. We ate, we laid in the sun. I can remember it clearly; I wish I could go back and relive it again.

_I snap off hanging vines and use my newfound knowledge from training to practice knots and weave nets. Steve sketches me. We make up a game with the force field that surrounds the roof, the one to keeps tributes from trying to jump off the building. One of us throws and apple into it and the other person has to catch it. _

_No one bothers us. By late afternoon, I lie with my head on Steve's lap making a crown of flowers while he fiddles with my hair, claiming he's practicing his knots. After a while his hands go still. Looking up at him, I see he's preoccupied with something in his head, "What?" I ask._

_Steve smiles and looks down at me loving which I gladly return the look. Then he speaks slowly and softly, "I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." I close my head and lay back head back even more so I can see Steve's entire face. His face glistens in the sunlight and I can easily see his blond eyelashes. I couldn't tell before because they were blonde, but they're really long and I wonder for a moment how they don't get all tangled up when he blinks._

_Yeah, I would like that too. Having it just being us two, with nothing to worry about and no responsibilities. I grab his hand and press it against my cheek smiling, "Me too." I feel so warm and relaxed and beyond worrying about a future I'll never, I just let the words slip out. "I love you,"_

"_I love you too." His fingers go back to my hair and I doze off, but he rouses me to see the sunset. It's a spectacular yellow and orange blaze behind the skyline of the Capitol. "Didn't think you'd want to miss this?" he explains. I nod my thanks because I can count on my fingers the number of sunsets I have left and I don't want to miss any of them. We don't go and join the others for dinner and no one summons us. _

_We stay on the roof until bedtime and quietly slip down to my room without encountering anymore. _

Our day of relaxation now turns into a day of stress and anxiety. Tomorrow night is our televised interviews while the day belongs to Phil so he and the prep team can get me ready for the occasion. Then… we get transferred to the arena the following morning.

.

.

In the morning, I'm roused by my prep team who are hanging over me. My lessons with Effie and Haymitch are over, this day belongs to Phil.

I'm about to start panicking about being caught with Steve, when I realize he's not near me. Turning my head I find his side of the bed completely empty and frown, despite the people in front of me.

The team works on me until late afternoon, turning my skin to glowing satin, stenciling patterns on my arm, painting black spiders on my fingertips on my twenty perfect nails- which thoroughly impresses me how nice they come out. Then Venia goes to work on my hair, weaving strands of red into a pattern that begins at my left ear, wraps around my head and then falls in one braid down my right shoulder. They erase my face with a layer of ale make-up, and draw my features back out. Huge dark eyes, full red hips, lashes that throw off bits of light when I blink. Finally, they cover my entire body in a powder that makes me shimmer in gold dust.

Soon Phil enters with what I assume is my dress, but I cant really see it because it's covered. "Close your eyes,"

I can feel the silken inside as they slip it down over my naked body then the weight. It must be forty pounds and I cant help, but give a shrug of compliant. "Is this supposed to be heavy?"

Phil chuckles from behind me and I use Octavia's hand as I blindly step into my shoes, glad to find they are at least two inches lower then the pair Diamond had me practice in. There's some adjusting and fidgeting. Then silence.

"Can I open my eyes?" I ask

"Yes," is Phil's reply.

The creature standing before me in the full-length mirror has come from another world. Where skin shimmers and eyes flash and apparently they make their clothes from jewels. Because my dress, oh, my dress is entirely covered in reflective precious gems, red and yellow and white with bits of blue that accent the tips of the flame design. The slightest movement gives the impression I am engulfed in tongues of fire. I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun. For a while we all just stare at me.

"Oh Phil," I finally whisper. "Thank you." I look so beautiful and I hope it's enough to distract the audience from whatever comes out of my mouth. Phil now has given me hope with my outfit. I cant wait to show Steve.

Phil comes up beside me and adjusts the bow on my back. He leans in and whispers, "Your ravishing. Now Natasha, because this bodice is so fitted, I don't want you raising your arms above your head. Well not until you twirl, anyway."

I raise an eyebrow at him, "I'll be twirling?"

He chuckles and nods his head. "You'll see you. Save it for the big finale though."

"You give me a signal so I know when," I instruct.

"All right." Phil looks at me and stares at me for a while and I cant help, but shift uncomfortably on my feet. I clasp my hands together in front of me and take a seat.

"Something up?" I ask

"what? No.. I was just… never mind. So Haymitch said your supposed to be mysterious." I nod my head and watch him as he walks next to me and takes a seat. "Why mysterious? Why did Haymitch choose that?" I frown and look down avoiding Phil's stare as I remember Haymitch's words from our session.

I mutter quietly, "Haymitch thinks I'm sullen and hostile."

"Well you are…" I frown, but it quietly turns into a smile. "around Haymitch. I don't find you so. The prep team adores you. You even won over the Gamemakers. And as for the citizens of the Capitol, well they cant stop talking about you. No one can help, but admire your sprit."

My sprit? This is a new thought. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but it suggests I'm a fighter. In a sort of brave way. It's not as if I'm never friendly. Okay, may I don't go around loving everybody I meet, maybe my smiles are hard to come by, but I do care for some people.

Phil takes my hands in his own, "Well I don't want you going for that angle. Your too young to be seen as mysterious and frankly, I like you the way you are." I look up at him with big hopeful eyes.

"Really?" He nods his heads and starts thinking of something. Once an idea comes to mind he faces me and speaks in clear cut voice,

"Suppose when you answer the questions, you think your addressing a friend back home. Who would your best friend be?" I don't hesitate.

"Brayden. Only it doesn't make sense, Phil. I would never be telling Brayden those things about me. He already knows them. "

"What about me?" Phil asks, "Could you consider me a friend?" Of all the people I've since I left home, Phil is by far my favorite. I liked him right off and he hasn't disappointed me yet. "I think so, but-"

"I'll be sitting on the main platform with the other stylists. You'll be able to look right at me. When your asked a question, find me and answer it as honestly as possible."

"Even if what I think is horrible?"

Phil chuckles under his breath and nods, "especially if what you think is horrible." "You'll try it?" I nod, it's plan at least. Or at least a straw to grasp at.

Too soon it's time to go. The interviews take place on a stage constructed in front of the Training Center. Once I leave my room, it will be only minutes until I'm in front of the crowd, the cameras, off all Panem… Uh-oh. As Phil turns the doorknob, I stop his hand. "Phil…" I'm completely overcome with stage fright.

"Remember they already love you," he says gently with an encouraging smile. "Just be yourself and be honest." We meet up with the rest of the District 12 crowd at the elevator. Maria and her gang have been hard at work. Steve looks striking in his black suit with flame accents. He looks so attractive in his suit that I find myself staring at him and Maria has to nudge me before anyone sees. Although Steve already has, giving me a smirk and a wink in my direction. While we look well together, it's sort of a relief not to be dressed identically. Haymitch and Diamond are all fancied up for the occasion. I accept Diamond's compliments on my outfit and make-up. When the elevator opens, the other tributes are being lined up to take the stage. All twenty-four of us sit in a big arc throughout the interviews. I'll be last, or second to last since the girl tribute precedes the boy from each district. How I wish I could be first and get the whole thing out of the way! Now I'll have to listen to how witty, funny, humble, fierce, and charming everybody else is before I go up. Plus, the audience will start to get bored, just as the Gamemakers did. And I cant exactly shoot an arrow into the crowd to get their attention.

Right before we parade onto the stage, Haymitch comes up behind Steve and I and growls, "Remember your still a happy pair. So act like it." Steve looks over at me and winks coming up to stand behind me. We move ourselves away from the other tributes to have our own little private discussion.

"Good evening Mr. Rogers," I whisper to him when I manage to find a dark corner to sneak us into. I grab onto his collar and pull him down; he gladly obliges and presses a soft kiss to my lips being mindful not to press to hard because of my lipstick. Pulling away, but pressing our foreheads together he whispers,

"Good evening Ms. Romanoff, you look very beautiful this evening. Even though you look beautiful every day, but you look extremely gorgeous tonight. Remind me to thank Coulson later." I smirk up at him and shake my head moving my head to press into his chest. Steve seems to notice my shaken behavior. "What's wrong 'Tasha?" I shake my head and look up at him with a smile.

"Nothing it's just… I'm nervous." I admit. "I have a lot of thoughts going through my mind at the moment. A lot of 'what if' or possibilities." Steve smiles and nods his head in understanding.

"Stage- fright?" I nod sheepishly and feel heat rising in my cheeks. "No need to be embarrassed love, everyone gets stage- fright." He presses his lips against my temple and presses my back into the wall while hovering over me. His hand goes to my waist and the other on my cheek. "By the way, back to my previous statement, you look beautiful."

"Thank you," I whisper pretending to give him a once over. "You look sexy, I'm very tempted to rip this suit off of you and pounce on you right now." I lick my lips and my hands instantly go to the hem of his shirt slowly rising it from being tucked in his pants. "Maybe I could just…" Steve groans and pushes himself away from me crossing his arms and giving me a fake glare.

"Why must you do this to me?" I giggle and twirl my hair in my hands while slowing walking up to him an innocent expression on my face. He frowns even more.

"What do you mean? I'm just telling you what I would do if I could. Your very attractive Steve, a guy like you deserves to be made to feel like a prince."

"If I'm a prince, then your my princess." Steve replies pulling me closer and picking me off my feet. I squeal quietly and press my face into his shoulder to muffle the sound. My legs wrap around his waist instantly and he spins me around chuckling. _God, I love him so much._

That's when we hear the horns blaring and from where we stand, Caesar Flickerman- the man who has hosted the interviews for more then forty years- bounces on stage. It's a little scary because his appearance has been virtually unchanged during all that time. Same face under a coating of pure white makeup. Some hairstyle that he dyes a different color for each Hunger Games- this year Casear's hair is powered blue and his eyelids and lips are coated in the same hue. He looks freakish, but less frightening then he did last year when his color was crimson and he seemed to be bleeding. Same ceremonial suit, midnight blue dotted with a thousand tiny electric bulbs that twinkle like stars. They do surgery in the Capitol, to make people appear younger and thinner. In district 12, looking old is something of an achievement since so many people die early. You see an elderly person, you want to congratulate them on their longevity, ask the secret of survival. A plump person is envied because they aren't scraping by like the majority of us. But here it is different. Wrinkles aren't desirable. A round belly isn't a sign of success.

Steve nods towards our empty chairs and I nod pulling him along. But when we're in site of the tributes I instantly let go of his hands, but keep close by so I can feel his warmth near me. And that's when my anxiety rises even more. I don't have Steve to hold onto, and I'm left trying to keep myself up right on my shaking legs. Just stepping on the stage makes me breathing rapid and shallow. I can feel my pulse pounding in my temples. It's a relief to get to my chair, because between the heels and my legs shaking, I'm afraid I'll trip. Although evening is falling, the City Circle is brighter than a summer's day. An elevated seating unit has been set up for the prestigious guest, with the stylists commanding the front row. The cameras will turn to them when the crowd is reacting to their handiwork. A large balcony off a building to the right has been reserved for the Gamemakers. Television crews have claimed most of the other balconies. But the City Circle and the avenues that feed into it are completely packed with people. Standing room only. At home and community halls around the country, every television set is turned on. Every citizen of Panem is tuned in. There will be no blackouts tonight.

My attention is brought back to Caesar who starts out by telling a few jokes to warm up the audience, but then gets down to business. The girl tribute from district 1, Virginia, is first. Although when she gets onstage, she makes it perfectly clear that she likes to be called Pepper. She looks provocative in a see-through, elegant, simple deep blue dress that compliments her strawberry red hair nicely. Her hair is pinned up with a few small blue flowers holding it in place leaving only a few curly strands out of the pin to frame her face. You can her mentor didn't have any trouble coming up with angle for her. With that flowing strawberry hair, sparkling brown eyes, her body tall and lush… she's sexy all the way.

Each interview only lasts three minutes. Then a buzzer goes off and the next tribute is up. I'll say this for Caesar, he really does his best to make the tributes shine. He's friendly, tries to set the nervous ones at east, laughs at lame jokes and can turn a weak response into a memorable one by the way he reacts.

I sit like a lady, the way Effie showed me, as the district slip by 2, 3, 4. Everyone seems to be playing up some angle. Clint, the boy from district 4, is a ruthless killing machine. The girl from district 8, named Jane, is sly and elusive and very intelligent.

The little girl from district 11, Margaret (likes to be called Peggy), is very bird-like when she flutters her way to Caesar in her simple, red simple dress that fits her top nicely and flows down past her hips along with the makeup her stylist put her on. She's very young and, in my opinion, doesn't need the dark red lipstick they put on her and the little blush and foundation to give her pale skin a glowing look. A hush falls over the crowd at the sight of this magical wisp of a tribute. Caesar's very sweet with her, complimenting her nine in training, an excellent score for one so small. When he asks what her greatest strength in the arena will be, she doesn't hesitate. "I'm very hard to catch," she says her voice having a little bit of a British accent to it. "And if they can't catch me, they can't kill me. So don't count me out." She says with a pointed look to the camera, a look reminding so much of a mother scolding her young one.

Caesar laughs and shakes his head, "I wouldn't in a million years."

The boy tribute from district 11, James Barnes, isn't as forthcoming like Peggy and is probably about 5 years older them her. He's very strong build and can handle every weapon the Training Center had to offer. I sometimes watched him train in admiration, especially after he rejected the invitations from the Career Tributes to join their crowd. Instead he's been very solitary, speaking to on one, showing little interest in training. Even so, he scored a ten and it's not hard to imagine he impressed the Gamemakers. He ignores Caesar's attempts at banter and answers with a yes or just remains silent. If only I were his size, I could get away with sullen and hostile and it would be just fine! I bet half the sponsors are at least considering him. If I had any money, I'd bet on him myself.

That's when they're calling Natasha Romanoff. I look back at Steve with a worried expression. He gives me a reassuring. He mouths the words 'You'll be fine' and helps me stand out of my chair. I feel myself, as if in a dream, standing and making my way center stage. The roar of the crowd sounds muffled and I can only process what I can see in front of me which is Caesar's hand outstretched to shake mine. After our shake, Caesar has the good grace not to immediately wipe his hand off on his suit. We take our seat and I see his mouth move, but don't hear anything. Then he's looking at me expectantly. _Shit! What did he say? It's as if the words made no sense._

I bit my bottom lip and refrain from blushing when I say, "I'm sorry, what?" The crowd laughs and Caesar turns to the audience pretending to hide his mouth.

"I think someone's a little nervous," he turns back to me and sits back in his seat, crossing his legs. "I said, that was quiet an entrance you made at the tribute parade the other day. Do you want to tell us about?"

My mouth feels dry and I cant speak. What do I say? What do I say? Phil's voice enters my hand, _Remember they already love you, just be yourself and be honest._ Be honest, be honest, be honest. "Well I just.. hoping that I wouldn't burn to death." The audience erupts into another fit of laughter and Caesar even joins in shaking his head.

When the laughter dies down, Caesar turns to me. "I have to say, when you came out of that chariot, my heart stopped." He turns to the others after placing his hand over his heart for emphasis. "Did any of you experience this as well?" They shout lots of agreement towards Caesar's statement and start clapping. See this is what I mean about Caesar. He tries to help you out.

I allow myself a smile when replying "So did mine."

He laughs, "Now Natasha, how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint of what happened in there." A smile appears on my face at the thought of my private session. Especially about the facial expressions of all the Gamemakers.

I glance at them on the balcony and bite my lip. "Um… all I can say, is I think it was a first." The cameras are right on the Gamemakers, who are chuckling and nodding.

"Your killing us," Caesar exclaims as if in actual pain. "Details. Details."

I address the balcony. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?"

The Gamemaker who fell into the punch bowl shouts out, "She's not!"

"Thank you," I nod at them and turn back to Caesar. "Sorry, my lips are sealed."

"Let's go back then, to the moment they called out your brother's name at the reaping," I feel my blood go cold and my entire body stiffen. Caesar seems to notice, but doesn't acknowledge it or call me out on it. My hands instantly tighten around the arm rest and I bit the inside of my cheek. Aiden. Why are we talking about him? I tried to keep him out of my mind as much as possible ever since I arrived at the Capitol. It was no use missing him if I'm going to be dead. So Steve and I stayed away from the topic of Aiden and my mother, although he talked wholeheartedly about his family. Caesar's voice quiet down now. "And Steve Rogers volunteered. Can you tell us about him?"

I gulp and find myself unable to speak again, but I try to force my voice to come. It comes out in a whisper and I don't try to push it louder. "Steve or-"

"Your brother," he says.

No, no, not all of you. But maybe Phil. I don't think I'm imagining the sadness on his face. "His name is Aiden. He's just twelve and…" You could hear a pin drop in the City Circle now. "He's adventurous, loves nature and is the sweetest, most innocent child you'll ever know. I love him more than anything in the world." Everything around me remains silent and suddenly I wish very hard that Steve's arms where around me right now. I don't think I can talk about Aiden anymore in front of everyone without getting teary eyed.

"He sounds like a remarkable little boy." Caesar comments quietly. When the silence becomes deafening Caesar asks another question, one I didn't expect him to ask. "Be mindful I'm going to be asking Steven this question when it's his turn, but… when they called out his name at the reaping and Steve Rogers stepped up to volunteer, we just want to know… what you were thinking when you saw this courage young man step up to save your brother?" I look up at Caesar and a tear rolls down my cheek when I think of Steve. Finally something I can talk about.

Wiping my fallen tear I sniff and think back to the reaping day. "I remember feeling… hope, and, as much as I hate to admit it, happiness. I-I, I just was just so happy that my brother could survive. Could get out of this. I was full of hope and happiness that my brother wouldn't have had to go through this. Wouldn't have to suffer and definitely wouldn't have had to die. If I had a choice, a chance to save him, I'd volunteer for him if I could've, but I couldn't."

"You love your brother so much that you'd rather die than have him die instead." I nod my head and my hands subconsciously start playing with the fabric of my dress. Anything to distract me from the pain and suffering my heart is dealing with right now. Oh Aiden are you watching this? Can you see how much I miss you? Know how much I love you. A hand comes and covers the top of mine giving me a soft reassuring squeeze. I look up and find Caesar giving me a pity look, but he then turns it into a huge grin. Are we done now? I didn't hear a buzzer yet, I want to go back to my room and have Steve waiting there for me. He turns to the audience and starts fanning his face,

"Woo," he says and pretends to wipe a tear out of his eyes. "That was emotional now wasn't it folks, but now I'm sure Natasha here would like to discuss something more serious than her family." More serious? What? "Like this fabulous dress she's wearing." The audience erupts into a loud applause and Caesar sends me a wink. He's trying to distract me. Well I'll give him points; he actually made me smile with his comment. "Isn't it lovely folks? That is such a gorgeous dress." I smile and look to the audience and easily find Phil in the crowd. As the audience oohs and ahs over it, I see Phil make the tiniest circular motion with his finger, but I know what he's saying. _Twirl for me._

Standing up, I raise my arms to my side, not above my head, and spin once in a circle. The reactions are immediate. "Oh, do that again!" Caesar exclaims excitedly and so I lift up my arms and spin around and around letting the skirt fly out letting the dress engulf me in flames. When I hear the screams of the crowd, I think it's because I must look stunning, then I notice something is rising up around me. Smoke. From fire. Not the flicker stuff, but something much more real that devours my dress. I begin to panic as the smoke thickens. Charred bits of black silk swirls into the air and pearls clatter to the stage. Somehow I'm afraid to stop because my flesh doesn't seem to be burning and I know Phil must be behind whatever is happening. So I keep spinning and spinning. For a split second I'm gasping, completely engulfed in the strange flames. Then all at once, the fire is gone. I slowly come to a stop, wondering if I'm naked and why Cinna has arranged to burn away my wedding dress.

But I'm not naked. I'm not in a dress anymore. Not anywhere near being in a dress when I feel the tight leathered jeans around my legs. Looking down at myself I find myself in an all black suit, kind of like a cat suit I've seen some of these Capitol people wear, the normal people anyway. The zipper in front is zipped halfway down, showing a bit of my cleavage, but not to revealing and the suit fits my curves perfectly, as if this suit was made specifically for me. There's a holster on my hip and thigh and a slight weight where both holsters are. Reaching down I grab what's inside each holster bring out two guns into my hands. A smile spreads across my face at the familiar feel of the gun's handle in my hands again. During my outfit transformation, my hair was let out of its braid by who knows what and now lays over both my shoulders, its curly strands ending in the middle of my back.

This outfit is better than any beautiful dress Phil puts me in. This is an outfit where I can actually show people the real me. Natasha Romanoff doesn't wear dresses and make up and dance on stage like a prissy little girl. She's a badass women who can fire a gun and isn't scared of anything. At the sight of the outfit Steve's voice comes into my mind, _Actually she would fit the name Black Widow better._ That's when I realize what Coulson has turned me into.

Coulson has turned me into the 'Black Widow'. His interpretation of how I'd look if I really were.

Now the audience knows the real me. There's a moment where the audience holds their breath and backs away from the stage a slight bit, but they make no choice of moving, only watching. Upon realizing that I'm not going to shoot the guns in my hands they start to relax and there's a slight silence before the entire crowd erupts into a loud burst of applause. "Guns? Black cat suit? Your like a spy of some sort."

"Black Widow actually." I say looking over at Phil and see him giving me a smirk before giving me thumbs up. "Well hats off to your stylists. I don't think anyone can argue that that's not the most spectacular thing we've ever seen in an interview. Phil, I think you better take a bow!" Caesar gestures for Phil to rise. He does and makes a small gracious bow. The audience breaks into a wild applause. I can barely hear the buzzer that indicates that my three minutes are up. Caesar thanks me and I go back to my seta, my outfit now feeling lighter than air.

As I pass Steve, who's headed for his interview, he doesn't meet my eyes. I take my seat carefully, but aside from the puffs of smoke here and there, I seem unharmed so I turn my attention to him. He has the audience from the get-go though; I can hear them laughing, shouting out. He gives the audience all his beautiful smile that always makes me weak in the knees. I can even see a few people of the crowd faint at the sight of his smile. Everybody loves Steve Rogers and no one can get enough of him. Caesar and Steve start out with Caesar asking him what has impressed him more since he got here. Steve answers without hesitation, "The many different colors of paint you have here. It's extraordinary, I didn't know there were that many colors." Then they have a quick discussion of Steve's favorite hobby, painting and drawing. I'm still in a daze for the first part of Steve's interview, but I'm coming back into focus when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home. Steve hesitates, and then gives an unconvincing shake of his head.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" I stiffen for the slightest moment until I see Margaret's eyes glance back at me before going to Steve. I relax and try to remind myself that Steve wouldn't tell. He couldn't tell…

Steve sighs and runs a hand over his face, "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on forever. Since we were children and I finally had the courage to go up to her and ask her out. She said yes." I see Steve smile slightly, his eyes down casted and somber. "A lot of boys like her and I'm just glad I got to her first before anyone else." Steve replies meeting someone's eyes in the audience and nodding, but swiftly turning his attention back to Caesar. The interaction with the one person in the audience was so quick that if you weren't watching Steve closely enough, you wouldn't have even noticed. Who is he talking about? I cant help, but feel a tinge of jealousy when I hear Steve talk about another girl.

"Well I think I speak for everyone when I say we're glad you got the girl. So here's what you do. You win, you go home so you can be together forever. Right folks?" Caesar asks the audience laughing out loud with them. Steve allows himself a smile, but shakes his head.

"I don't think winnings going to help me much?"

"Why ever not?"

Steve blushes beet red and stammers out, "Because… because… she came here with me."


	11. Chapter 11

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 11**

For a moment, the cameras hold on Steve's downcast eyes as what he says sinks in. Then I can see my face, mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen until I realize what he said. _He told them!_

My eyes widen and flicker to the camera screens where I have an extreme close up. Quickly I compose myself leaving my face clean of emotion before ducking my head, not wanting anyone to see the upcoming blush on my face. So many unanswered questions run through my head, but the one that absolutely needs an answer screams the loudest, 'Why!?'

I watch Caesar's and the audience's reaction from under my eyelashes.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar says and there's a real edge of pain in his voice. The crowd is murmuring in agreement, a few have even given agonized cries.

"It's not good," Steve agrees.

"Well I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady," Caesar says. "She didn't know?"

Steve shakes his head and glances at the screen with a small smirk before changing it to one of thoughtfulness. "Yeah she does, actually she's known for a while." I raise an eyebrow, but make no move to raise my head. I keep it down to conceal the emotions plainly written on my face thanks to the ever reddening blush that only continues to get darker due to Steve's smirk sent clearly in my direction. What is he doing? Why is he telling them, they were supposed to find out in the arena! Was this set up between Haymitch and him an idea to try to end the game, well their going to have to try harder than that. A relationship between two victors will only encourage the audience to put us in the games even more. I'm pulled from my thoughts by Steve continuing to speak, "We've been in a relationship before the games. Have been for the past year and a half." Steve what are you doing?

"Really now?" Caesar asks intrigued and leaning forward in his seat, some of the audience copying his movement. "Well that's very interesting, please Steve tell us more." A smile graces Steve's lips and he shrugs.

"Well, what can I say?" he starts looking almost lost for words. "Where do I begin when I talk about Natasha? Just as you said, you cant blame anyone from falling over her. Well you only know the beginning of her, there's more to her then she's letting anyone see which is what I admire about her. She's like a book, a very mysterious book that. I find myself more intrigued in everyday trying to unravel mysteries and even discovering some truth behind her. But the more I learn about her, the more I see that there are tons more to learn. She's simply just an amazing woman and, as you all can tell, she's gorgeous. In my eyes, she's the most beautiful human being to ever grace the planet and I still find it hard sometimes to think she's mine. Back home sometimes I would fear that I would wake up one day and see that it was all just a dream, that I was only dreaming and Natasha was never mine, but once I have her in my arms I realize that it's real." I blush harder and run a hand through my loose hair biting my bottom lip hard. "But she surprises me every time. Natasha is, another thing you figured out, very humorous, but she's smart, courageous, strong, independent and practically every guy's dream girl. I'm very lucky to call her mine and I will do everything in my power to protect her in the arena. I know I'm not coming out of that arena alive, I know I'm not. I just hope she does because I love her." The audience sighs in a loving manner and there's a moment of silence before the audience erupts into a loud burst of applause.

Caesar wraps an arm around Steve in a sort of comforting manner. "Of course you will," he says after putting away his handkerchief he pulled out to wipe a stray tear. "We'd expect no less from you Steve. I have to confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together."

Enormous applause. As if encouraged, I look up from my hands and let the audience see my tragic smile of thanks. The residual smoke from the transformation has made my eyes teary, which adds a very nice touch. To add an even bigger affect I blow a kiss in Steve's direction and mouth 'I love you' and he does the same which emits another sigh from the crowd.

"I'm not glad," Steve says, but doesn't offer any more explanation. I duck my head again to hide my confusion, where on earth is he going with this?

From where I can see under my lashes, Caesar seems taken back, "Surely even a brief time is better than no time?"

"Maybe I'd think that too, Caesar, if it weren't…" Steve's voice trails off in hesitation. Caesar's eyebrows rise in curiosity, but also worry.

"If it weren't for what? What?"

Steve takes a deep breath, runs a hand through his, which he does when he's hiding something or nervous. Is he okay? Steve looks a little pale, paler then Loki and he's sweating. I start to get out of my seat in worry, the camera's following my every move, but I don't seem to care. Only that Steve is not okay. He shoots me an apologetic glance which confuses and I'm almost too standing position before he announces something that makes my stomach drop and my mouth open. "If it weren't for the baby." There. He's done it. Drooped a bomb that wipes out the efforts of every tribute that came before him.

As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there cant ignore, at least for a moment, how horrific the whole thing is.

I'm pregnant.

Falling back into my seat I try to absorb this new information. The audience can't absorb the news right away either. It has to strike them and sink in and be confirmed by other voices before they begin to sound like a herd of wounded animals, moaning, shrieking, calling for help. And me? I know my face is projected in a tight close-up on the screen, but I don't make any effort to hide it. Because for a moment, even I am working through what Steve has said. Isn't this the thing I dreaded most about the future- the loss of my children to the Games? And it could be true now, couldn't it? If I hadn't spent my life building up layers of defenses until I recoil at even the suggestion of marriage or a family? Caesar cant even rein in the crowd again, not even when the buzzer sounds. Steve nods his good-bye and comes back to his seat without anymore conversation. I can see Caesar's lips moving, but the place is in total chaos and I cant even hear a word. Only the blast of the anthem, cranked up so loud I can feel it vibrating through my bones, lets us know where we stand in the program. I automatically rise and, as I do, I sense Steve reaching out for me. Tears run down his face as I take his hand. How real are the tears? Is this an acknowledgment that he has been stalked by the same fears that I have? That every victor and tribute has? Every parent in every district in Panem? I turn spontaneously to James and offer my hand. I feel my fingers close around his hand and hold fast. And then it happens. Up and down the row, the tributes begin to join hands. Some right away like Bruce and Betty. Others unsure, but caught up in the demands of those around them like Clint and Bobbi. By the time the anthem plays its final strains, all twenty four of us stand in one unbroken line in what must be the first public show of a unity among the districts since the Dark Days. You can see the realization of this as the screens begin to pop into blackness. It's too late, though. In the confusion they didn't cut us off in time. Everyone has seen.

There's disorder on the stage now, too, as the lights go out and we're left to stumble back into the Training Center. I've lost hold of James, but Steve guides me into an elevator. Tony and Pepper try to join us, but a harried Peacekeeper blocks their way and we shoot upward alone. The moment we step off the elevator, Steve grips my shoulder. "There isn't much time, so tell me. Is there anything I have to apologize for?"

"Nothing," It was a big leap to take without my okay, but I'm just as glad I didn't know, didn't have time to second guess him, to let any guilt over my family detract from how I really feel about what Steve did. Which is empowered. Somewhere, very far off, is place called District 12 where my mother and brother and friends will have to deal with the fallout from this night. Just a brief hovercraft ride away is an arena where, tomorrow, Steve and I and the other tributes will face our own form of punishment. But even if all of us meet terrible ends, something happened on that stage tonight that cant be undone. We tributes staged our own uprising, and maybe, just maybe, the Capitol wont be able to contain this one. We hear the elevator door start to open and I pull Steve aside, out of view of everyone. Right now I don't want to see anyone, including the stylists. Just Steve.

Steve looks like he has so much to say especially with the guilty look on his face. My hand rests on his cheek and caresses his face and he seems to relax instantly under my gentle touch. His hand goes to my waist and pulls me even closer, his eyes deepening in guilt. He shouldn't feel guilty, I know he meant well with what he was doing. Even though I don't know what he was trying to accomplish, I know he didn't want to hurt me. I lean up and press my lips against his to show him I'm not angry at him. I'm actually far from angry. Pulling away I pull him into a tight hug and bury my head in his shoulder as his arms encircle my waist. He whispers softly and sweetly. "Natasha, I'm very sorry. I-I just, I thought if they knew about us that maybe they would end the games. And when I saw their reactions to us I knew it didn't do anything, but add fuel to the flames. So in a state of panic I-I just… said the first thing out of my mouth. I was only trying to protect you." I tighten my hold and shake my head.

"Don't be sorry," my voice surprisingly steady despite the emotions coursing through my veins. "I knew you only did it for me. Thank you for at least trying, but… Steve you know as well as I do that they won't cancel the games."

"I just had to try. I cant lose you." Steve whispers a tear escaping his eyes. I lean up and brush the tear away with my thumb before pressing our forehead together.

"Hey, your not going to lose me. I'll always be with you Steve, even if I do die. Your not alone." I intertwine our fingers and kiss him briefly before we hear our names being called. I nod towards the living room, "Come on we cant hide what happened forever." Same as announcing the training scores, they'll replay the entire interviews tonight. Steve nods and we walk back into the main room where Haymitch and Effie stand waiting for us. I don't even try to conceal our intertwined hands, but lean closer into his presence beside me, not ashamed of our closeness in front of everyone. Their reaction takes me back a bit. They're smiling, but also there is concern in their eyes.

Haymitch walks up to us, "The baby bomb was a stroke of genius." He compliments. "It's madness out there. Everyone's been sent home and they canceled the recap of the interviews on television." Steve and I hurry to the window and try to make sense of the commotion far below us on the streets.

"What are they saying?" Steve asks, "Are they asking the president to stop the Games?"

"I don't think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol's agenda is a source of confusion for the people here." Haymitch says. "But there's no way Snow would cancel the Games. You know that right?"

I do. Of course, he never could back down now. The only option left to him is to strike back and strike back hard. A hush falls on the room. Tomorrow at dawn, we will be roused and prepared for the arena. The actual Games don't start until ten because so many of the Capitol residents rise late. But Steve and I must make an early start. There is no telling how far we will travel to the arena that has been prepared for this year's Games. I know Haymitch and Effie will not be going with us. As soon as they leave here, they'll be at the Games Headquarters, hopefully madly signing up our sponsors, working out a strategy on how and when to deliver the gifts to us. Coulson and Maria will travel with us to the very spot from which we will be launched into the arena. Still final good-byes must be said here.

Effie takes both of us by the hand and, with actual tears in her eyes, wishes us well. Thanks us for being the best tributes it has ever been her privilege to sponsor. Effie gets extremely tearful when she congratulates us on the baby and wishes me well in the arena. I shift uncomfortably on my feet as she speaks about a baby that doesn't even exist and when she bends down to actually speak to it. I shoot Steve a look and he sends back an apologetic look. But none of the less I play along because presenting Steve as a liar wouldn't help his case. Effie straightens and then, because it's Effie and she's apparently required by law to say something awful, she adds "I wouldn't be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!" Then she kisses us each on the cheek and hurries out, overcome with either the emotional parting or the possible improvement of her fortunes.

Haymitch crosses his arms and looks us both over.

"Any final words of advice?" Steve asks.

"Stay alive," It's the same advice he gave us on the train, but he's not drunk and laughing this time. And we only nod. What else is there to say? He gives us each a quick embrace and I can tell it's all he can stand. "Go to bed. You need your rest."

"You take care Haymitch." We cross the room, but in the doorway, Haymitch's voice stops us. "Natasha, when you're in the arena." He begins then pauses. He's scowling in a way that makes me sure I've already disappointed him.

"What?" I ask defensively

"You just remember who the enemy is, that's all. Now go on. Get out of here."

Steve and I walk hand in hand down the corridor and I lead him to my bedroom. This night will prove to be extremely restless, for him and me. What do we do? Do we lay in bed awake? Try to find sleep? No, it will only prove to be useless. I don't know, but all I know is I definitely want Steve by my side at all times.

I close the door once we enter and turn to face Steve, our bodies only inches apart. "I only did it to protect you." He whispers so quietly that if I weren't paying attention I wouldn't have noticed he said something, but I was.

"Steve," he doesn't look at me. "Steve look at me, please." Slowly his head turns and soon I'm staring into his baby blue eyes. "I'm not angry at you." Right now I'm just filled with anxiety of what tomorrow will bring. Will one of us be dead the minute the gong goes out? If so who? Steve or me?... I wouldn't be able to function properly if Steve died in that arena, especially if was protecting me. How will I handle his death? My reaction to his canon going off scares me. I don't know how I'll act, but I know it wont be pleasant. I shiver against the thought of seeing his face in the sky with the Capitol anthem playing. _No, Steve is going to fine. He's going to be with me and I'll protect him. I'll always protect him just like he'll protect me. We'll be fine._

My arms weave around his neck and I place kiss on his cheek as he does on my neck. We pull away only briefly and stare into each other's eyes before Steve leans down and starts kissing the length of my neck. The feeling of his soft plush lips pressed against my neck makes me moan and I push my body against him even more. His hand moves from my stomach to my waist and tighten his grip. I feel us moving backwards. Soon my back is pressed against the wall and Steve's chest presses into mine. I cant help the continuous moans that escape my mouth as Steve kisses and gives his undivided attention to each spot on my neck. My fingers lace in his hair and I bend my head back to allow Steve better and more access to my neck. Soon a gasp escapes my lips at the feel of him sucking a spot below my jaw. One that turns me on and makes my teenage hormones, ones I've hidden until this very moment, explode. I don't try to conceal the look of lust in my eyes when Steve pulls back to give me a smirk. His eyes filled with the same emotion. I wrap my hand around his wrist and push him towards the bathroom door, my breathing shaking slightly thanks to my nervousness. Why am I so nervous? This is just Steve… but it's also my first time and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. And from the look on Steve's face neither does he.

There's one thing that I haven't done and I wanted to be able to do before I die. One thing that I couldn't do by myself. I needed someone I loved and trusted with all my heart and… I love Steve more than anything. He's the only thing left that I have and the only person I'm allowed to love at this point. I wont die without getting I've always wanted. I just hope Steve wont object.

Steve arms wrap around my waist and he, breathlessly, asks "What are you doing?" I ignore him and continue to pull him into the bathroom. Once inside I close the door and turn to face Steve, my brain screaming at me to just rip our clothes off of us right now. Steve licks his lips as his eyes scan up and down my body. I do the same before moving to the shower and starting it. At the sound of running water Steve seems to snap back into to reality and his eyes grow wide in innocence. I stay by the showers watching him closely. "N-Natasha, a-are you sure?" He asks his voice rising in pitch. He clears his throat to keep his voice steady and from shaking. He's nervous and I'm think I'm twice as nervous as he is. I don't answer his question, instead I walk straight up to him and turn around pulling my hair up.

"Unzip." I tell him.

"Nat-"

"Unzip." I simply state again waiting for his hands to fully unzip my cat suit. Steve lets out a shaking breath before I feel his hands skimming the back of my neck with his hands as I hear my zipper being unzipped. I smile to myself and bit my bottom lip as I turn back around to face Steve. His eyes are down casted and there's a slight blush on his cheek_. Steve always being the gentlemen, well not tonight. I don't want a gentlemen, I just want him._

I put a finger under his chin and force his head up to look at me. "Steve," I whisper. He looks up at me expectantly and I nod reassuringly. "I'm sure… please." I beg. I'm not known to beg and Steve knows. Whenever I do, he knows I'm serious. He nods his head, but he still looks nervous. I place a chaise kiss on his lips and whisper against his lips, "Pull the suit down." He tenses against me and my hand comes up to rest on his cheek. I stroke it softly offering him some comfort, soon he starts to relax. I smile up at him and nod against pressing my lips to his again. Closing my eyes I take a deep breath and whisper again "Please." A tear slides down my cheek as I fear that Steve is going to reject me. That he is going to walk out of this bathroom right now and stop. But when I feel the cat suit slide down my shoulder and a draft begin on my the top part of my chest, my breast still covered, I know he wont stop. I open my eyes and look into Steve's sea blue eyes and a smile spread across my face as Steve's hand comes up to brush the stray tear.

"Okay," He whispers back and pulls the suit down even further finally exposing my breast, still covered by a bra. "Don't cry, please don't. I-I'm sorry. I-I'm just s-scared." I smile bigger and throw my arms around his neck hugging him tightly.

"Don't be sorry, I'm scared to." I say, my voice shaking, but I don't dare stop talking. "But please Steve… I want this. I really do. I want to do this before I die-"

"Your not gonna-" Steve starts after interrupting me, but I cut him off before he can tell me I'm not going to die.

"Just please… I love you and I trust you. I know you wont hurt me and I want you. I only want you. Please Steve just… just please."

The next thing that happens, happens so fast that it's a blur to me. One minute Steve and I are standing in the middle of the bathroom, the next I'm presses against the bathroom wall, the suit completely off and Steve's shirt discarded on the floor next to it. Steve arms wrap around my waist and I feel myself lifted off the ground, instantly my legs wrap around his waist. He presses himself against me and I gasp at the feeling of Steve pressed against me. _Oh dear lord, he's huge!_ But that still doesn't stop me, with one hand wrapped around the back of his neck I use the other and grope him on the outside of his pants. He shivers and moans under my touch and I smile up at him under my lashes. He opens his eyes and his hand comes to caress my cheek.

"Gosh, your so beautiful Natasha." His eyes scan over the top of my chest and he licks his lips. He leans forward and starts leaving gentle kisses on the exposed part of my breast that makes me moan uncontrollably.

"Steve…" I groan and my hand reaches behind me to unclip my bra subconsciously. Only his hand beat me to it. He unclips it easily and I shrug out of the garment before throwing it to the other side of the room. Immediately Steve's eyes land on my breasts and I find myself feeling a little self conscious under his stare until he reaches out to cup it. I moan full of pleasure and watch his expressions turn from lust to want as he gropes, rubs, kisses and sucks on my breasts. My breath hitches in my throat when his warm mouth wraps around my nipple and his name escapes my lips. I hum in approval as my body bucks back against the wall. When I do that I immediately feel how much he wants me. His hands continues to caress my breast while the other reaches between my legs to grab a hold of the waistband of my panties. I'm caught by surprise when he suddenly rips them off of me and I elicit a lust-filled gasp.

I'm caught off guard by Steve's actions because up until that moment all he's been was gentle, tender, soft and borderline hesitant. I claim Steve's lips again when I bend down to crush mine into his. We kiss and stumble slightly until we collapse in the open shower. We both gasp and laugh slightly when the water catches us off guard soaking Steve's pants. After realization hit that we were in the shower I claim his lips again and my hand wanders downward until they hit what I was looking for, Steve's zipper. I quickly unzip them and pull away long enough to help Steve out of them. Once there is only just his boxers I can see the big bulge that his pants were concealing… _oh my gosh._

Without hesitation I grab his boxers and rip them off as his cock springs to life, being freed from its confines. I can feel Steve's eyes watching me as I take in his huge friend. Instead of hiding how I truly feel about, which is pure happiness that this is about to be in me, a huge smile spreads across my face as I take in it my hands. Steve jumps slightly at the unfamiliar touch, but relaxes instantly when I start pressing soft kisses to the tip. He sighs in contentment and his hand raises to rest on my head and I allow my tongue to make tiny circles on the tip of his cock. He groans and mutters softly, "N-Nat… stop, please. D-Don't t-tease me." I smirk up at him and all of a sudden take him in my mouth as much as I can. He sucks in a deep breath at the sudden change, but doesn't make any move to protest. He keeps his hand on my head as I slowly bob my head back and forth on Steve's cock.

Steve's legs start shaking and I can see him gripping the door handle tightly, to the point his knuckles are white. Soon enough I can feel that Steve was about to cum. His cock hardens and he starts moaning more. To help him cum faster I grip the part of his cock that I couldn't get in my mouth hard and deep-throat myself gagging on his pulsating, juicy, huge cock. I close my eyes and groan at the same time Steve lets out his juicy delicious cum into my mouth. I suck up everything he just exploded in my mouth, making sure not to let a sip drop pass my lips. By the time I'm done, Steve has just finished taking deep long breathes calming himself from his ecstasy. Crawling my way up to him I kiss him passionately, my arms wrapping around his body and straddling him.

Steve smiles up at me then starts laughing out of nowhere. "What?" I ask innocently. He shakes his head and continues laughing which makes me frown. "What?" I repeat. Steve slowly stands up, being mindful of me strapped to his body by my legs. Once in a standing position I get to my feet and stare at him. He turns me around to face the mirror and I gasp at my reflection. My mascara is running, my hair is flat, and basically all of Phil's and the prep team's hard work is ruined. "I look horrible." I say trying to hide my face in Steve's chest.

Steve wraps his arm around me and whispers into my ear, "I think you look sexy." He kisses my cheek and soon I feel his hand starting to rub shampoo into my hair. I look up at him and quirk an eyebrow.

"I do believe I know how to wash myself." I say smirking. He smiles and nods,

"Yes, but I do it so much better." I shrug and allow him to pamper me as I take care of the damage done to my face. Once I make sure my face is free of make-up and my hair free of the shampoo and condition Steve massaged into it, I turn to him and smirk.

"Your turn." Our positions reverse. I end up massaging shampoo in his hair as he cleans his body just as I did. I smile as he looks very self conscious doing in front of me after what we just did. Steve is so cute when he's blushing. I lean into his ear and whisper softly, almost purring. "Your so sexy Steve. Why is your body so perfect?" My comment only makes Steve blush even harder and I let out a laugh. When Steve rinses out his entire body, I watch as water drips down his perfectly toned body and cant help my hands from wandering.

Steve jumps in surprise when my hands wraps around his cock and start pumping him. He closes his eyes and turns to face me, pressing my body against his. I bit my bottom lip hard and look up at his closed eyes purring out the next sentence. "Steve, I have no words for how handsome you are and how beautiful your body is. I love you."

"Natasha, you're the most beautiful human being I've ever laid my eyes on. I love you so much that it hurts. You don't know how much I love you." Steve busied himself in kissing every single part of my upper body that he didn't seem to notice the grin that spread across my face. I surprise myself with the next thing that came out of my mouth, but it doesn't mean I regret saying them.

"Then prove it… Make love to me Steve." I murmur in his ear pressing the soft skin of his cheek. I feel Steve tense beside me and hear him swallow hard before he nods. Suddenly the water turns off and I'm lifted into Steve's arms. What happens next is a blur, but now I'm laying, back against the sheets, on my bed with Steve hovering over me, a determined look in his eyes full of lust. Water drips down his face and onto my body which seems to drive him even crazier. I smile up at him and make a motion for him to come down, "Come here soldier." Steve and I both gasp at the first glide of his dick over my wetness. I buck my hips up in attempt to get him in me. Steve groans, slowly beginning to press into me. I gasp pressing all of my body into him as he leans over me. Then, he suddenly his rock hard cock is completely inside in one swift thrust forward. I press Steve's hand hard on my mouth to keep from screaming as pain rushes through my legs and my entire vagina. I groan and close my eyes tightly. _Shit, this hurts…_ I think to myself. Then all of a sudden there's nothing in me...

"Natasha, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't m-mean to hurt you. I… I-I'm sorry." I look up to find Steve's eyes staring down at me with guilt very apparent in his baby blue eyes. I want to tell him it's okay, that I'm fine, but I cant find my voice. Instead I motion for him to come forward, but he doesn't. He shakes his head, "'Tasha your bleeding." He says looking down ashamed. I look down at my vagina to find it covered in blood, but it doesn't bother me. I reach out for him as I sit up, slowly because the pain is still there, but slowly becoming numb.

Breathlessly I grab his hand pull him forward pecking a kiss to his lips. "Steve it's… okay." I tell him out of breath. "it's normal, it's supposed to happen when you're a virgin. Y-You… you just broke my protective walls, that's all. I'm f-fine, I promise, just please… don't stop. I need you, I want you. Your not going to hurt me." I assure him quickly once I see fear flash in his eyes. I put his face in between mine and force his eyes to look into mine. "Steve I-I love you… I wouldn't be doing with anyone else, only you because I trust you. Like I said before, I know you wont hurt me and if I didn't love you I wouldn't be doing with you right now. Please Steve just… make love to me. Make me forget everything. The games, district 12, the Capitol. Make me forget my own name. Make me only remember you and me. Just us and only us. I only want to think about you and me Steve. Please… make me forget about everything." I beg him adding kisses to his face. I keep in a tight hold closing my eyes and praying that he'll continue. I need him to, I need him to finish what he started. I want him, more than anything in the world… "I need you Steve."

I gasp in surprise then find myself groaning as the tip of Steve's cock touched my entrance. I groan again when Steve pushes in a little deeper, still hesitant. I look up at him and shake my head, "Your not going to hurt me. Just… please Steve! I really need you. Plea-" My plead is quickly cut off when Steve pushes in farther and I let out a different sound which I reprimand myself for. I made a pained noise. I am in pain, but Steve doesn't need to know that, it will only scare him more. Steve freezes and looks at me with fear, I shake my head. "I'm fine." I assure him and place a hand on his chest. "Just go a little slower, g-give me time to adjust." I tell him breathless as sweat drips down my body.

It took a while for Steve to get all the way in, but when he did, it felt wonderful. I hadn't felt anything so tight in my entire life and all I feel is pleasure. The pain is gone, and now all I want is more. More of Steve and more of his delicious cock inside me. I tighten around him and groan so loud that I had to cover my mouth from alerting anyone near my room. Last thing I want is to get caught by a Capitol attendant. Steve began slowly driving himself into me and I cry out, my cries muffled by my hand, as each thrust pressed just perfectly against that spot inside of me. The curve of his dick is just perfect. It sent me over the edge sooner than I had ever expected. Especially when he sped up.

With each new thrust, I cried out and was rewarded with a responding groan. His thrusts were beginning to become erratic, but it didn't matter because I was close too. "Gosh Natasha,"

"Steve…" I groan and arch my back. Then, he gave one hard thrust, pressing directly against my g-spot. I scream, not trying to conceal it this time, and my hands tighten around the sheets as I spasmed around him. I scream his name loudly at the same time Steve screams my name and I cum right onto his dick. His cum comes merely seconds later and he flops down beside me, his sweating wet body pressed against my own. I close my eyes in pure bliss and allow Steve to pull me against his side. I relish in the sweat dripping off of our bodies and the happiness that Steve and I did it.

We had sex and it was the most amazing, fantastic thing in the world. I never thought I'd enjoy sex as much as I had with Steve. I turn around to face him and smile big when Steve's blue eyes meet mine.

"I love you Steve."

"Not as much as I love you. Did I prove it to you?" I pretend to mull it over before giving a very big nod of the head. He kisses my forehead and pulls the covers up to cover our naked bodies. I press my body as close to Steve as it will allow. I close my eyes and press my face into his chest as we try to control our breathing.

As soon as our breathing are under control that when we realize how tired we are. Sex has taken a toll on us and now we can actually get sleep. I bit my lip. I don't want to sleep; I scared that I'll wake up to nightmares. I hate nightmares and if I can avoid them, I'll will. But Steve and I need our sleep tonight. Because the moment we give into fatigue in the games, could be the moment we could get a bullet through the head or the sword through the heart. We need our energy. I turn to look at him and find him staring down at me. I give him a kiss and snuggle even closer hoping that if I get even closer Steve might just be able to ward off any nightmares that may come to me tonight.

Hopefully.

I fall asleep soon in Steve's arms with no thought of the Games tomorrow, no thought of District 12, no thought of my family and friends back home and definitely not a thought about how I will die in that arena. Tonight, for the first night since the reaping, I fall asleep with nothing on mind except Steve Rogers and about the amazing time we just had.


	12. Chapter 12

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 12**

Phil and Maria arrive with the dawn and I know Steve will have to go. Tributes enter the arena alone, but I cant help the tears that roll down my face as he gets out of bed and begins dressing himself. I sit up and reach out for his hand once he finishes buttoning his pants. He takes it and sits down on the edge of the bed pulling me into his arms. He wipes the tear and kisses the top of my head. He gives me a light kiss after pulling me into a long, tight hug. "See you soon," he whispers.

"See you soon." I reply holding onto his hand as tightly as I can, dreading the moment when I soon will have to let go.

A knock on the door announces that Steve needs to leave. Steve helps me dress in new clothes, and we take our slow sweet time before heading towards the door. Opening the door we find Phil and Maria standing outside waiting for us. Maria raises an eyebrow clearly asking a question, 'Ready?' he nods and turns to me. Placing a soft kiss on my lips as Phil and Maria respectfully busy themselves in a conversation. Soon we pull away and I wrap my arms around him. He does too and we stay in a quick embrace before he pulls away and starts walking down the hall with Maria. I turn to Phil and he accompanies me to the roof. I'm about to mount the ladder to the hovercraft when I remember. "I didn't say goodbye to Maria."

"I'll tell her," Phil says as he sees me start to dismount the ladder, but the electric current glues me to the ladder while I'm lifted safely inside. I expect the ladder to release me then, but I'm still stuck when a women in a white coat approaches me carrying a syringe.

"This is just your tracker, Natasha. The stiller you are, the more efficiently I can place it." Still? I'm a statue. But that doesn't prevent me from feeling the sharp stab of pain as the needle inserts the metal tracking device deep under the skin on the inside of my forearm. Now the Gamemakers will always be able to trace my whereabouts in the arena. Wouldn't want to lose a tribute. As soon as the tracker's in place, the ladder releases me. The woman disappears and Phil is retrieved from the roof. A Capitol attendant comes in and directs us to a room where breakfast has been laid out. Despite the tension n my stomach, I eat as much as I can, although none of the delectable food makes any impression on me. I'm so nervous, I could be eating coal dust. The one thing that distracts me at all is the view from the windows as we sail over the city and then to the wilderness beyond. This is what birds see. Only they're free and safe. The very opposite of me.

The ride lasts about half an hour before the windows black out, suggesting that we're nearing the arena. The hovercrafts lands and Phil and I go back to the ladder, only this time it leads down into a tube underground, into the catacombs that lie beneath the arena. We follow instructs to my destination, a chambers for my preparation. In the Capitol, they call it the Launch Room. In the districts, it's referred as the Stockyard. The place animals go before slaughter.

Everything is brand-new, I will be the first and only tribute to use this Launch Room. The arenas are historic sites, preserved after the Games. Popular destinations for Capitol residents to visit, to vacation. Go for a moment, rewatch the Games, tour the catacombs, visit the sites where the deaths took place. You can even take part in reenactments.

I struggle to keep my breakfast down as I shower and clean my teeth. Phil does my hair in a simple trademark braid down my back. Then the clothes arrive, the same for every tribute. Phil has had no say in my outfit, does not even know what will be in the package, but he helps me dress in the undergarments. This year's tribute outfits is a fitted blue jumpsuit, made of very sheer material, that zippers up the front. A six-inch-wide padded belt covered in shiny purple plastic. A pair of nylon shoes with rubber soles.

"What do you think?" I ask holding up the fabric to Phil. He frowns as he rubs the thin stuff between his fingers.

"I don't know. It will offer little in the way of protect from cold or water."

"Sun?" I ask picturing a burning sun over a barren desert.

"Possibly. If it's been treated. Oh, I almost forgot!" What Phil pulls out of his suit jacket surprises me to an extreme and brings tears to my eyes.

_My dad's ring._

The ring Aiden gave to Steve and I never got back because I always forgot to ask when I was around him. How did Phil get it? He grabs my left hand and places it on my ring finger. I stare at him with an eye brow raised until he notices. Phil chuckles and adjusts the top of my suit. "The audience already knows about you two and that you are expecting, might as well." Phil mockingly gives me a shake of his head and places a kiss on his my cheek. He knows there's no baby. At least that takes a little weight off my chest. I'm not lying to the only person I trust in the Capitol, well besides Maria, and if Phil knows then Maria already knows.

"Where did you get it?" I ask.

"Steve handed it to me before he and Maria left. Since you're allowed to wear at least one token from your district he told me to give it to you before you get launched in the arena. He wanted you to keep a part of your family with you. He's a sweet kid." I smile and find myself twirling the ring around on my finger.

"Yeah… yeah he is." That was more than sweet what Steve did. It was extraordinary, Steve is just one of a kind and that's one of the reasons I love him.

"There you're all set. Move around. Make sure everything feels comfortable." I walk, run in a circle, and swing my arms about. "Yes, it's fine. Fits perfectly."

"Then there's nothing to do, but wait for the call. Unless you think you could eat anymore?" I turn down food, but accept a glass of water that I take tiny sips of as we wait. I don't want to chew on my nails or lips so I find myself gnawing on the inside of my cheek. It still hasn't fully healed from a few days ago, soon the taste of blood fills my mouth. Nervousness seeps into terror as I anticipate what is to come. I could be dead, flat-out dead, in an hour. Not even. My fingers obsessively trace the hard little bump on my forehead where the woman injected the tracking device. I press on it, even though it hurts, I press on it so hard a small bruise begins to form.

"Do you want to talk Natasha?" Phil asks quietly. I shake my head, but after a moment hold out my hands to him. Phil encloses it in both of his. And this is how we sit until a pleasant female voice announces it's time to prepare for launch. Still clenching one of Phil's hands I walk over and stand on the circular metal plate. "Remember this Natasha I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, my money would be on you."

"Truthfully?"

Phil smiles and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Truthfully." He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. "Good luck, the Black Widow." And then a glass cylinder is lowering around me. He taps his finger under his chin. Head high. I lift my chin and stand as straight as I can. The cylinder begins to rise. For maybe fifteen seconds I'm in darkness and I can feel the metal plate pushing me out of the cylinder, into the open air. Something seems to be wrong with my vision. The ground is too bright and shiny and keeps undulating. I squint down at my feet and see that metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out tin every direction.

Then I hear the legendary announcer, Claudius Templesmith, as his voice booms all around me. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

I have less than a minute to get my bearings. Then the gong will sound and the tributes will be free to move off their plates, but move where? _Where are you?_ I can still make no sense of my surroundings. _Where are you!?_ I demand an answer from myself and slowly the world comes into focus. Blue water. Pink sky. White-hot sun beating down. All right, there's the Cornucopia the shining gold metal horn, about forty yards away. At first it appears to be sitting on a circular island, but on closer examination I can see the thin strip of land radiating from the circle like the spokes on a wheel. I think there are ten to twelve, and they seem equidistant from one another. Between the spokes, all is water. Water and pair of tributes. That's it, then. There are twelve spokes, each with two tributes balanced on metal plates between them. The other tribute in my watery wedge is Loki from District 8. He's about as far to my right as the land strip on my left. Beyond the water, wherever you look, a narrow beach and then dense greenery. I scan the circle of tributes looking for Steve, but he must be blocked from my view by the Cornucopia.

I catch a handful of water as it washes in and smell it. Then I touch the tip of my wet finger to my tongue. As I suspected, it's saltwater. But as least it seems clean. There are no boats, no ropes, not even a bit of driftwood to cling to. No, there's only one way to get to the Cornucopia. When the gong sounds I don't even hesitate before I dive to my left. It's a longer distance then I'm used to, and navigating the waves takes a little more skill then swimming across my quiet lake at home, but my body seems oddly light and I cut through the water effortlessly. Maybe it's the salt. I pull myself, dripping, onto the land strip and sprint down the sandy stretch for the Cornucopia. I can see no one else converging from my side, although the gold horn blocks a good portion of my view. I don't let the thought of adversaries slow me down, though. I'm thinking like a Career now and the first thing I want is to get my hands on a weapon. This year the weapons seem to be piled at the twenty foot high mouth. My hands reach out and grab the first thing it touches. It wraps around the handle of three guns, and my other hand grabs a taser and knives. My eyes instantly home in on an orange back-pack while I bring the weapons to my chest. _Perfect_. I grab it and stuff the weapons in the bag, also adding a rope and an awl before I feel someone behind me. I'm alerted by, I don't know, a soft shift of sand or maybe just a change in air currents. I grab a knife and turn to my opponent, arm raised ready to throw.

Clint, glistening from the water, stands a few yards away from me with a bow and arrow in hand poised to attack. A net dangles from his other hand and he's smiling a little, but the muscles in his upper body are rigid in anticipation. "You can swim too?" he asks with a cocky eye brow raised. "Where did you learn that district Twelve?"

"We have a big lake."

"You must," He says chuckling. "You like the arena?"

"Not particularly, but you should. They must have built it especially for you." I say with an edge of bitterness. It seems like it, anyway with all the water, when I bet only a handful of tributes can swim. And there was no pool in the Training Center, no chance to learn. Either you came in here a swimmer or you'd better be a really fast learner. Even participation in the initial bloodbath depends on being able to cover twenty yards of water. That gives District 4 an enormous advantage.

For a moment we frozen, sizing each other up, our weapons our skill. Then Clint suddenly grins. "Lucky thing we're allies. Right?" Sensing a trap I'm about to let my knife fly, hoping it finds his heart before the arrow impales me, when he shifts his hand and something on his wrist catches the sunlight. A solid gold bangle that I was extremely sure I saw on Haymitch's arm the moment I first met him. It was pretty hard not to, he keep twisting and turning it as if it were a weapon that could kill him. I would never forget it, it was a really attractive bangle. I briefly consider that Clint could have stolen it to trick me, but somehow I know this isn't the case. Haymitch gave it to him. As a signal to me. An order, really. To trust Clint.

"Where did you get that?"

"Where do you think?" he asks and before I can rebut with my own comment he shots at me duck. I obey his command without hesitation and fall to the ground as his arrow goes whizzing over my head and there's a sickening sound of impact as it finds its target. The man from district 3 sinks to his knees as Clint frees his arrow from his chest. "Don't trust 1 and 2. Look around for anything we could use. I'll go find Steve." Clint commands as he rushes to the other side of the Cornucopia. There's no time to question this, I work some weapons free and make sure I'm to strike in case someone comes after me. I dart around the pile and about 4 spokes apart find Tony and Pepper making their way towards me. I raise an arm, two knives in my fits, ready to throw them and hope they hit its target. I'm about to release when Tony growls at me in a such a powerful voice, so different from his usual seductive purr, "Behind you!" and shoves me aside before I could take a trident to the stomach. Tony and Pepper drop to the ground, but get right back up whereas I stay on the ground staring up at them with curious eyes. _Tony saved me. Tony Stark saved me. Why? _Clint was different, apparently he was my ally and I'm supposed to trust him. I'm not allies with District 1, unless Haymitch…

_Haymitch, _I mentally groan in my mind. He smirks at me and sticks a hand out. When I don't grab it, he says in a mocking tone. "I wont bite, come on. Up and ad am." Instead of waiting for my answer he grabs my waist and hoist me up. I give a yelp at the unfamiliar touch of his hands on my waist, but shrug it off.

"Thanks." I manage before Clint shouts my name. I turn and find him standing near the tip of the horn. "Natasha, Bobbi found him!" Without any further explanation I take off running, Tony and Pepper hot on my heels, which I don't stop to question. Steve first, questions later. I'll breathe better when I have him by my side. When I make it to Clint I spot Bobbi standing a few inches in front of him pointing out into the water. My eyes instantly land on him. He's fighting with someone and from the look of it, it's the guy from district 5. I react instantly, I start removing knives from my belt, preparing to swim out to reach him and bring him in.

Clint drops a hand on my shoulder. "I'll get him."

Suspicion flickers up inside me. Could this all be just a ruse? For Clint to win my trust and then swim out and drown Steve? "I can." I insist.

But Clint has already dropped all his weapons to the ground. "Better not exert yourself Red." Tony says "Not in your condition." He reaches down and pats my abdomen.

_Oh right. I'm supposed to be pregnant._ I think. While I'm trying to think what that means and how I should act- maybe throw up or something- Clint has position himself at the edge of the water. He throws us a glance and mutters 'Cover Me' before he disappears in a flawless dive. Bobbi, Tony and I instantly poise our weapons to attack- me with my guns, Bobbi with her bow and arrow, and Tony wields an circle that emits a pretty blue light- while Pepper stands behind us, defenseless. I huff in exasperation; this is why I didn't want allies. I'm extremely upset that, against our orders, Haymitch went ahead and chooses allies for us. Although I'm not sure why I'm so surprised. Steve is going to be thrilled. Getting Virginia's attention I toss her the first thing my hand touches in the pack, which happens to be an awl. A quick survey of the rest of the arena shows that most of the tributes are still trapped on their plates. By the time I look back Steve has finished the guy off and Clint has now reached Steve. He has to take a few moments to coax him to come with him, Steve thinking it's a trap. Clint gestures towards me and the moment Steve's eyes land on me he starts swimming ahead. When they reach land, I help haul Steve up onto dry land.

"Hello again," Steve says giving me a kiss. "We've got allies." He says disappointment really apparent in his eyes. I nod my head, a fake smile playing on my face.

"Yes. Just as Haymitch intended."

"Hey look," Tony says pointing towards the water. "Someone figured it out." He points to Bruce. Bruce is flailing around in the waves, but managing to keep his head above water.

"What?" I ask.

"The belts. They're flotation devices." Clint explains, arranging his weapons around and pulling a sheath of arrows onto his back. "I mean, you have to propel yourself, but they'll keep you from drowning." I almost ask Clint to wait, to get Bruce and Betty and take them with us, but Bruce is three spokes over and I Can even see Betty. For all I know, Clint would kill them as quickly as he did the tribute from 5, so instead I suggest we move on. I hand Steve a dagger and Clint hands him his extra sheath of arrows and a bow. Steve gives him a curious look and Clint shrugs, "You shoot?" He asks.

"I'm okay."

"Good, for your protection keep this one." For his protection? Am I going crazy? Why would Clint give Steve a weapon for 'his protection'? Isn't he supposed to kill him, not save him. I protect him and he protects me, no one else. I give Clint a curious look, but he pretends he doesn't see it. "Let's go." Shoving the thought aside for now, we run away from the Cornucopia.

Where the sand ends, woods begin to rise sharply. No, not really woods. At least not the kind I know. Jungle. The foreign, almost obsolete word comes to mind. Something I heard from another Hunger Games or learned from my father. Most of the trees are unfamiliar, with smooth trunks and few branches. The earth is very black and spongy underfoot, often obscured by tangles of wines with colorful blossoms. While the sun's hot and bright, the air's warm and heavy with moisture and I get the feeling I will never really be dry here. The thin blue fabric of my jumpsuit lets the seawater evaporates easily, but it's already begun to cling to me with sweat. Steve takes the lead, cutting through the patches of dense vegetation with his long knife. Pepper, Bobbi, Tony and I take the middle and Clint brings up the tear, although Bobbi moves to stand by his side. I wish I could do the same, but Steve would never allow it. It doesn't take long, between the steep incline and the heat, to become short of breath, but with Steve and I beyond so physically in shape, Clint and Bobbi being amazingly physically stable, Tony being too prideful and Pepper fighting, we continue moving.

We get another mile in before Steve requests a break, although I know it's more for Tony's and Pepper's sake then his own. They immediately slump down under a tree and take deep long breathes trying to calm themselves as Clint, Bobbi and Steve escape our surroundings in search of water. The foliage has hidden the wheel from sight, so I scale a tree with rubbery limbs to get a better view. And then wish that I hadn't. Around the Cornucopia, the ground appears to be bleeding; the water has purple stains. Bodies lie on the ground and float in the sea, but at this distance, with everyone dressed exactly the same, I cant tell who lives or die. All I can tell is that some of the tiny blue figures still battle. Well, what I did I think? That the victors chain of locked hands last night would result in some sort of universal truce in the arena? No, I never believed that. But I guess I Had hoped people might show some… what? Restraint? Reluctance, at least. Before they jumped right into massacre mode. No… I have only one real friend in here. And he isn't from district 1, or 4. I let the slight, soupy breeze cool my cheeks while I come to a decision. Despite the bangle, I should get it over with and shoot Clint. Possibly even Bobbi Tony and Virginia as well. I know if I kill Clint, Bobbi will rush to his rescue and I don't know if I would be quick enough to avoid an arrow to the head, especially if Steve will duck out of the way. Because surely if Bobbi cant kill me, she'll try to kill Steve because he's mine. And Tony and Pepper may or may not enter in the fight and it will just cause a huge problems. Besides there is really no future in this alliance. And Clint, Tony and Bobbi are too dangerous to let go. Now, when we have this tentative trust, may be my only chance to kill him. I could easily shoot him in the back of the head as we walk. It's despicable, of course, but will it be any more despicable if I wait? Know him better? Owe him more? No, this is the time. I take one last look at my battling figures, the blood ground, to harden my resolve and then slide to the ground. But when I land, I find Clint's kept pace with my thoughts. As if he knows what I have seen and how it will have affected me. He has one of his arrows hooked in place and ready to fire if needed in a defensive position. Also Bobbi and Tony are positioned to attack.

"What's going on down there Natasha? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons in the sea in defiance of the Capitol?" Clint asks.

"No."

"No," Clint repeats. I growl when Steve steps in between us with a pointed look towards Tony, Clint and Bobbi.

"Because whatever happened in the past is in the past." Steve says. I open my mouth to argue, but he turns me around and starts walking, an arm around my waist before I can say anything. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "I only said that to get them to put their weapons down." He speaks a loud to the group behind me, "Let's keep moving. We need water." He says pushing me behind him and taking lead again. So far there's been no sign of freshwater stream or pond and the saltwater's undrinkable.

"Better find some soon," Pepper says. "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting us tonight."

We. Us. Hunting. All right, maybe killing them off would be a little premature. They've been helpful so far. And one of them does have Haymitch's stamp of approval. And who knows what the night will hold? If worse comes to worst, I can always kill them in their sleep. So I let the moment pass and so does the others. The absence of water intensifies my thirst. I keep a sharp eye out as we continue our trek upward, but with no luck. After about another mile, I can see an end to the tree line and assume we're reaching the crest of the hill. "Maybe we'll have better luck on the other side. Find a spring or something"

But there is no other side. I know this before anyone else. My eyes catch on a funny, rippling square hanging like a warped pane of glass in the air. At first I think it's the glare from the sun or the heat shimmering up off the ground, but it's fixed in space, not shifting when I move. Suddenly I have a flashback to my training in the training center. When Steve and I were deliberately staying away from our specialty. I wanted to try making fire with other things beside matches and so we ended up being the only tributes there… until Bruce and Betty came and joined us minutes later. I was annoyed and almost asked Steve if we could move until I saw Betty construct a fie instantly using only a charred cloth and they both go into casual conversation about stuff they've figured out while in the Capitol, and Steve and I share a confused glance when they start using terms we're not familiar with.

_I was so lost in their conversation, but after glancing over at Steve you could tell he wanted to ask questions and learn more from these two. From the terms they used and their intrigued faces, you could tell instantly they were into science. I consider for a second, just a second in a moment of pure fascination and stupidity, to add these two as allies. _

_Bruce and Betty make decent company. They seem friendly enough, but don't pry. We talk about our talents, they tell me they both invent things which makes my legal hunting seem pretty weak. Betty brings up some sort of stitching device she's working on. "It senses the density of the fabric and selects the strength of the thread." She says_

"_Automatically." Bruce adds giving Betty a small smile. "It rules out human error." Then he talks about his recent success creating a musical chip that tiny enough to be concealed in a flake of flitter, but can holds hours of song. Steve and him go into deep conversation about the little device while Betty and I continue to speak about her fabric invention. Suddenly, Betty stops what she's doing instantly making Bruce, Steve's and my actions hesitate. Bruce, placing his items down, reaches out and clasp her hand in his. "Betty?" He asks in a shy quiet manner. Betty looks up at the stands where the Gamemakers are roaming around eating and drinking, sometimes taking notice of us. "Look," she says giving her head a slight nod in their direction. I look up and see Plutarch Heavensbee in the magnificent purple robe with the fur-trimmed collar that designates him as Head Gamemakers. He's eating a turkey leg. _

_I don't see why this merits comment, but I say "Yeah, he's been promoted Head Gamemaker this year." _

"_No, no. There by the corner of the table. You can just… make it out." Bruce squints through his glasses. _

_I stare in that direction, perplexed. But then I see it. A patch of space about six inches square at the corner of the table seems almost t be vibrating. It's as if the air is rippling in tiny visible waves, distorting the sharp edges of the wood and a goblet of wine someone has set there. "A force field. They've set one up between the Gamemakers and us." Bruce explains, once his eyes land on the shimmering air. I shrug and look at them,_

"_So do all force fields have a spot like that."_

"_Chink." Betty says a matter of factly._

"_In the armor, as it were," finishes Bruce. "Ideally it'd be invisible wouldn't it?" I want to ask them more, but lunch is announced. _

And that's when I connect the square with Bruce and Betty in the Training Center and realize what lies before us. My warning cry is just reaching my lips when Steve's knife swings out to slash away some vines. There's a sharp zapping sound. For an instant, the trees are gone and I see open space over a short stretch of bare Earth. Then Steve's flung back from the force field, bring Tony, Clint, Bobbi and Pepper to the ground. I rush over to where he lies, motionless in a web of vines. "Steve?" There's a faint smell of singed hair. I call his name again, giving him a slight shake, but he's unresponsive.


	13. Chapter 13

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 13**

I feel myself freeze in my spot and my hands raise up to press on his neck. I press down on his skin hoping for a pulse. Just like his heart I got nothing. I react immediately,

"Steve." I call his name and my voice rises in pitch when I speak again. "Steve wake up." I start shaking his shoulders and the shaking only continues to get worse. "Steve, wake up. Please wake up!" I get nothing in response which immediately brings tears to my eyes and as of right now, unlike a few minutes, I'm not able to think properly. "Steve!... Steve Rogers wake up!" Tears run down my face as I turn to the others as they are beginning to get up from their fall. Blurry vision I scream out to them although I know they cant do anything about it and possibly wont do anything about it. When you make a pack in the arena, the loyalty will only last for a short amount of time. "He's not breathing! He's NOT Breathing! Steve!" I lean down and try coaxing life out of his body, my heart completely falling into my stomach at the feeling of his cold skin. "Steve!" I scream. I shake him harder, even resort to slapping his face, but it's no use. His heart has failed. I am slapping emptiness. "Steve!"

Clint comes up beside me and pushes me out of the way. "Let me." His fingers touch points at Steve's neck, run over the bones in his ribs and spine. Then he pinches Steve's nostrils shut. I lose it, and act before I think,

"No!" I yell hurling myself at Clint, for surely he intends to make certain that Steve's dead, to keep any hope of life from returning to him. Clint's hand comes up and hits me so hard, so squarely in the chest I go flying back; about to crash into a nearby tree, but Tony catches me before I do. I'm stunned for a moment and try to get out of Tony's grip once I regain focus, but he keeps a vice grip on me. "Let me go! STEVE!" I try to bite Tony's hand, but he keeps his arms away from my face and his body away from my legs to keep me from hurting him. Then I see Clint close off Steve's nose again. I cry harder and scream loud into Tony's ear that he's forced to let go of me and the girls jump. From where I sit, I pull a gun out of the holster on my leg and switch off the safety lock as my hand makes contact with the handle. I bring it up to my face and aim it directly at Clint's head, a perfect clear shot of his head and he's dead. I'm about to pull the trigger when I'm stopped by the sight of Clint kissing Steve. And it's so bizarre, even for Clint, that I stay my hand. No he's not kissing him. He's got Steve's nose blocked off, but his mouth tilted open and he's blowing air into his lungs. I can see this, I can actually see Steve's chest rising and falling. Then Clint unzips the top of Steve's jumpsuit and begins to pump a spot over his heart with the heels of his hands. Now that I've gotten through my shock, I understand what he's trying to do. What Clint is doing is rare; I've only seen my mother try this tactic in a blue moon when patients are brought to her. If your heart fails in District 12, it's unlikely your family could get you to my mother in time, anyway. So her usual patients are burned, or wounded or ill. Or starving, of course. But Clint's world is different. Whatever he's doing, he's done it before. There's a very set rhythm and method and I find the gun fall from my numb hands as I lean forward in desperation, for some sign of success. Agonizing minutes drag past as my hope diminishes. Uncontrollable tears run down my face and I'm left hyperventilating, not even paying any mind to Pepper, who tries to console me which I ignore completely, Tony and Bobbi, who stand there watching me, and to all of Panem, their viewing eyes below my worries. All I do is stare at Clint's attempt to revive him. I shrug Pepper off of me and crawl my way up to Steve, throwing my weapons aside and placing his head in my lap, being careful not to disturb Clint's movement and counts. I caress his cheeks giving him pleads and begs for him to come back. To return to me. To not leave me alone in this arena, at least not now. "Steve, Steve please come back… B-Baby come back to me. Please, please, please. I-I need you, d-don't leave me y-yet. I love you s-so much. Please Steve… p-please. Baby I love you!" I place a quick kiss on his cold blue lips as my tears fall in streams down my face and on his.

Around the time that I'm deciding it's too late, that Steve's dead, moved on, unreachable forever, he gives a small cough and Clint sits back. My eyes widen and I lean forward desperate to hear his small little cough again. I hear myself muttering so low only Steve, if he were conscious, could hear. "Please, please, please baby. Please." I hold my breath until seconds later he gives another cough, only this one louder and more audible as his chest visibly rises and falls as he takes in a breath. I gasp and lean forward, "Steve." I whisper quietly hovering over him. I brush the damp blond strands of hair back from his forehead; find the pulse drumming against my fingers at his neck. "Oh my god," His lashes flutter open and his eyes meet mine.

"Careful," he says weakly. "There's a force field up ahead." I laugh, but there are tears running down my cheeks. I leaning down I press my lips to his harder then I meant to, but my shaking hands grasp tightly onto his jumpsuit. We pull away and he runs a hand over his face closing his eyes. I caress his cheek and wait for him to speak again; I really need to hear his voice. "Must be a lot stronger than the one on the Training Center roof, but I'm all right though. Just a little shaken."

"You were dead. You were dead. Your heart stopped!" I blurt out, before really considering if this is a good idea. I clap my hand over my mouth because I'm starting to make those awful choking sounds that happen when I sob.

"Well it seems to be working now." He says jokingly, his voice still being hoarse and weak. "It's all right Natasha." I nod my head, but the sounds aren't stopping. "Natasha?" Now Steve's worried about me which adds to the insanity of it all. He sits up and brings me with him, his eyes staring into mine.

"It's okay Spangles," Tony says as he checks Pepper for injuries. "It's just her hormones. From the baby."

"No it's not-" I get out, but I'm cut off by an even more hysterical round of sobbing that only confirms what Tony said about the baby. Clint meets my eyes and I glare him through my tears. It's stupid, I know that his efforts make me so vexed. All I wanted was to keep Steve alive and I couldn't and Clint could and I should be nothing, but grateful. And I am. But I am also furious because it means I will never stop owing Clint Barton. I'm in his debt. So how can I kill him in his sleep?

I expect to see a smug or sarcastic expression on his face, but his look is strangely quizzical. He glances between Steve and I as if trying to figure something out, then gives his head a slight shake as if to clear it. "How are you? Do you think you can move on?" he asks Steve.

"No he has to rest." I reply immediately. My nose is running like crazy and I don't even have a shred of fabric to use as handkerchief. Pepper rushes over and rips off a handful of hanging moss from a tree limb and gives it to me. I'm too much of a mess to even question it. I blow my nose loudly and mop the tears off my face.

"So you want to make camp here, then?" Tony asks when I'm done.

"I don't think that's an option." Steve says. "Staying here. With no water, no protection. I feel all right, really. If we could just go slowly."

"Slowly would be better than not at all. Come on Spangles." Tony helps Steve up while Steve gives him a look. After helping him to his feet Tony notices it. "What?"

"Spangles?" Steve asks, an annoyed look in his eyes. Tony just smirks and laughs loudly going back to Pepper's side. I pull myself together and stand up. Since I got up this morning I've said goodbye to one of my only friends in the Capitol, landed in an arena which I will never come out of alive and seen Steve die. Still I'm glad Tony keeps playing the pregnancy card for me because from a sponsor's point of view, I'm not handling things all that well. I check over my weapons because it makes me seem more in control. "I'll take the lead." I announce. Steve starts to object, but Bobbi cuts him off.

"No let her," it's the first time she's ever spoken to me when she addresses me now. "You knew that force field was there, didn't you? Right at the last second? You started to give a warning." I nod. "How did you know?"I hesitate. To reveal that I know Bruce's and Betty's secret of recognizing a force field could be dangerous. I don't know if the Gamemakers made note of that moment during the training, when the two pointed it out to me or not. One way or the other, I have a very valuable piece of information. And if they know I have it, they might do something to alter the force field so I can't see the aberration anymore. So I lie. "Um… I don't know, I-I just… it's almost as if I could hear it." They all give me a puzzled look, but after a moment of silence Clint shrug.

"If you do, by all means, take the lead." We set out in a steady walk, Steve's and my places reversed and Bobbi and Clint still hold up the rear. Clint offers to make him some sort of cane thing, out of wood, but Steve protest saying that if we go slowly, he's good. I keep physical contact with him at all times, making sure he's always behind me. Steve sense my worry and occasionally gives me reassuring squeezes on my hand as if to reassure me that he's right here, alive and not dead. Not yet, he's still fighting… Since the force field is hard to see completely, without me having to strain my eyes to see, I cut down a bunch of hard nuts that hang like grapes from a nearby tree and toss them ahead of me as I go. It's good I do, too, because I have a feeling I'm missing the patches that indicate the force field more often then I'm spotting them. Whenever a nut hits the force field, there's a puff of smoke before the nut lands, blackened and with a cracked shell, on the ground at my feet. After a few minutes I'm aware of the smacking sound behind me and turn to see Bobbi peeling the shell off one of the nuts and popping it in her already full mouth. "Bobbi!" I cry. "Spit that out, it could be poisonous." She mumbles something and ignores me, licking her lips with apparent relish. I look to Clint for help, but he just laughs.

"I guess we'll find out." He says. I go forward wondering around Clint, who protected me from getting stabbed by the guy from district 5, but will let his district partner eat strange nuts. Who Haymitch stamped his seal of approval. Who brought Steve back from the dead. Why didn't he just let him die? He would have been blameless. I never would have guessed it was in his power to revive him. Why could he possibly have wanted to save Steve? And why was he so determined to team up with me? Willing to kill me too if it comes to that. But leaving the choice of if we fight to me. I keep walking, tossing my nuts, sometimes catching a glimpse of the force field trying to press to the left to find a spot where we can break through, get away from the Cornucopia and hopefully find water. But after another hour or so of this I realize it's futile. We're not making any progress to the left. In fact, the force field seems to be herding us along a curved path. I stop and look back at Pepper's stumbling form and the sheen of sweat on Tony's forehead. "Lets take a breath." I say "I need to get another look from above."

The tree I choose seems to jut higher into the air then the others. I make my way up the twisting bought, staying as close to the trunk as possible. No telling how easily these rubbery branches will snap. Still I climb beyond good sense because there's something I have to see. As I cling to a stretch of trunk no wider then sapling, swaying back and forth in the humid breeze, my suspicions are confirmed. There's a reason we can't turn to the left, will never be able to . From this precarious vantage point, I can see the shape of the whole arena for the first time. A perfect circle. With a perfect wheel in the middle. The sky above the circumference of the jungle is tinged a uniform pink. And I think I can make out one or two of those wavy squares, chinks in the armor, Bruce and Betty called them, because they reveal what was meant to be hidden and are therefore a weakness. Just to make absolutely sure, I shoot a couple of bullets into the empty space above the tree line. There's a spurt of light, a flash of real blue sky, and the bullets are thrown back into the jungle. I climb down to give the others the bad news.

"The force field has us trapped in a circle. A dome, really. I don't know how high it goes. There's the Cornucopia, the sea and then the jungle all around. Very exact, very symmetrical and not very large."

"Do you see any water?" Pepper asks, panting heavily.

"Only the saltwater."

"There must be some other source." Steve says. "Or else we'll be all dead in a matter of days. The drinkable water could be between the force field and the wheel." We all know what this means. Heading back down. We decide to move down the slope a few hundred yards and continue circling. See if maybe there's some water at that level. I stay in the lead, occasionally chucking a nut to my left, but we're well out of range of the force field now. The sun beats down on us, turning the air to steam, playing tricks on our eyes. By mid-afternoon, it's clear that Tony and Pepper can't go on and Steve needs a little break, still a little weak from the force field incident. Clint chooses a campsite about ten yards below the force field, saying we can use it as a weapon by deflecting our enemies into it if attacked. Pepper and Bobbi pull blades of sharp grass that grows in five-foot-high tufts and begin to weave them together into mats while Clint and Tony sorts through all of our weapons, making sure they're in perfect condition and seeing what we need and don't need. Since Bobbi seems to have no ill effects from the nuts, Steve collects bunches of them and fries them by bouncing them off the force field. He methodically peels off the shells, piling the meats on a leaf. I stand guard, fidgety and hot and raw with the emotions of the day.

Thirsty. I'm so thirsty. I walk a little bit away, only to have the content sounds of the other's movement relax my worries of leaving them. Suddenly weak, I lean against a tree to rest, feeling the heat draw the moisture from my body like a sponge. Already swallowing is difficult and fatigue is creeping up on me. Then I hear it.

The canons.

Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have finally stopped at the Cornucopia. They never collect the bloodbath bodies until the killers have dispersed. On the opening day, they don't even fire the cannons until the initial fighting's over because it's too hard to keep track of the fatalities. I force myself to stand, panting, as I count the shots.

One… Two… Three… and on and on until it reaches 6.

In my stillness, I begin to notice the animals: strange birds, with brilliant plumage, tree lizards with flickering blue tongues and something that looks like a cross between a rat and a possum clinging on the branches close to the trunk. I shoot three of the latter out of the tree to get a closer look. It's ugly, all right, a big rodent with a fuzz of mottled gray fur and two wicked looking gnawing teeth protruding over its lower lip. As I'm gutting and skinning them, I notice something else. Its muzzle is wet. Like an animal that's been drinking from a steam. Excited, I start at its home tree and move slowly out in a spiral. It cant be far, the creature's water source.

Nothing. I find nothing. Not so much as a dewdrop. Eventually because I know Steve will be worried about me. I head back to the camp, hotter and more frustrated than ever. When I arrive, I see the others have transformed the place. The others have transformed the place; Bobbi and Pepper have created a hut of sorts out of the grass mats, open on one side, but with three walls, a floor, and a roof. Pepper also plaited several bowls that Steve has filled with roasted nuts. Their faces turn to me hopefully, but I give my head a shake. "No. No water. It's out there, though. He knew where it was." I say hoisting the skinned rodents up for all to see. "He'd been drinking recently. I couldn't find his source."

"Can we eat him?" Steve asks

"I don't know for sure, but his meat doesn't look that different from a squirrel's. He ought to be cooked…" I hesitate as I think of trying to start a fire out here from complete scratch. Even if I succeed, there's the smoke to think about. We're all so close together in this arena, there's no chance of hiding it. Steve has another idea. He takes a cube of the rodent meat, skewers it on the tip of a pointed stick and lets it fall into the force field. There's a sharp sizzle and the stick flies back. The chunk of meat is blackened on the outside, but well cooked inside.

The white sun sinks in the rosy sky as we gather in the hut. I let my head fall back and close my eyes as I lean against Steve, his arm wrapped around me loosely. I'm dreading the night. At least the tightly woven grass offers some protection from whatever slinks across the jungle floor after hours. But a short time before the sun slips below the horizon, a pale white moon rises, making things just visible enough. Our conversation trails off because we know what's coming. We position ourselves in a line at the mouth of the hut and Steve slips his hand into mine. The sky brightens when the seal of the Capitol appears as if floating in space. Then they show the faces of the 6 dead tributes.

The girl from district 3 is first. Meaning both tributes from 1, obviously, and 2 have made it through day one. Next is the boy from 5, the one Clint killed, and Jane from district 6. The boy from 8, presumably the boy Steve was fighting, and both from 9. I cant help, but feel relieved that little Peggy made it through her first day.

No one speaks. I can pretend I knew any of them well. I knew Jane. We spoke in the Training Center after my encounter with Bruce and Betty. And now I'm thinking of her two little siblings hanging onto her at the reaping when they took her away and her kindness to me in the Training Center. She even offered to teach me some special ways to paralyze someone in exchange for a lesson with knives. She's gone. She's dead. They're all dead.

I don't know how long we might have sat here if it weren't for the arrival of the silver parachute, which glides down through the foliage to land before us. No one reaches for it.

"Whose is it?" Pepper finally asks.

"No telling," Clint says. "Why don't we let Steve claim, since he died today?" Steve unties the cord and flattens out the circle of silk. On the parachute sits a smell metal object that I cant place. "What is it?" No one knows. We pass it from hand to hand, taking turns examining it. It's a hollow metal tube, tapered slightly at one end. On the other end a small lip curves downward. It's vaguely familiar. A part that could have fallen off a bicycle, a curtain rod, anything, really. It's in my hands when it's suddenly snatched out of Steve's hands and starts inspecting it. Seconds later, a smile spreads across his face.

He snaps his fingers and stands starting to walk to a tree, a knife in hand. "It's a spile." He says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world and begins to drive a whole into a tree. That when I take a good look at it and I know Tony is right. Yes, I've seen one of these before. On a cold, windy day long ago, when I was out in the woods with my father. Inserted snugly into a hole drilled in the side of a maple. A pathway for the sap to follow as it flowed into our bucket. Maple syrup could make even our dull bread a treat. After my father died, I didn't know what happened to the handful of a spiles he had. Hidden out in the woods somewhere, probably. Never to be found. "It's a spile. Sort of like a faucet. You put it in a tree and sap comes out.. well the right kind of tree." I add looking at the sinewy green trunks around me.

"Sap?" Clint asks.

"To make syrup." Steve explains. "But there must be something else inside these trees."

"Precisely my train of thought Spangles." Steve rolls at his new nickname, but none of the less stands and walks over to Tony. We're all on our feet at once. Our thirst. The lack of springs. The tree rat's sharp front teeth and wet muzzle. There can only be one thing worthy having inside these trees. Tony tries to make a hole with the knife in his hand, but Steve stops him so he doesn't hurt himself. He then pulls out the awl that I gave him and drives it straight into the bark, burying the spike two inches deep. He continues doing it until it can hold the spile. I wedge it in carefully and we all stand back in anticipation. First nothing happens. Then a drop of water rolls down the lip and lands in Pepper's palm. By wiggling and adjusting the spile, we get a thin stream running out. We take turns holding our mouths under the tap, wetting our parched tongues. Pepper brings over a basket, and the grass is so tightly woven it holds water. We fill the basket and pass it around, taking deep gulps and, later, luxuriously, splashing our faces clean. Like everything here, the water's on the warm side, but this is no time to be picky. Without our thirst to distract us, we're all aware of how exhausted we are and make preparations for the night. Then I think of the spile and wrest it from the tree trunk. I strip a tough vine of its leaves, thread it through the hollow center and tie the spile securely to my belt. Clint offers to take the first watch and I let him. I don't think I'll be a good watcher if I'm obsessing over Steve. Better if we have someone more on high alert. We lay the furthest from the hut and I cuddle up against his side, his arm automatically wrapping around me. I bury my face in his chest and close my exhausted eyes. The heat, the thirst, but more importantly the crying has worn me out. Steve and I intertwine our fingers and after taking a survey of our surroundings I fall asleep with the comforting reassurance that Steve is still alive, I'm still alive and we made it through our first day in the arena.


	14. Chapter 14

_**From the Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 14**

The sound of a cannon startles me awake, although it does little to my sleeping companions. There's no point in waking them for this. Another dead tribute. I don't even allow myself to wonder who this is. Clint's head snaps in my directions when a twig snaps from beneath me, but he relaxes when he sees it's only me. Before we could say a word to each other, there a loud tolling of bells.

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

_Bong!_

It's not exactly the ones they ring in the Justice Building on New Year's, but close enough for me to recognize it. Pepper and Tony sleep through it, but Steve and Bobbi are jarred from sleep. They have the same look of attentiveness Clint and I feel. The tolling stops.

"I counted twelve." Steve states from beside me.

I nod. Twelve. What does that signify? One ring for each district? "Mean anything, do you think?"

"No idea." He says.

We all stay silent in hopes of a message from Claudius Templesmith, but nothing comes forward. The only thing of note appears in the distance. A dazzling bolt of electricity strikes a towering tree and then a lightning storm begins. I guess it's an indication of rain, of a water source for those we don't have a mentor as smart as Haymitch.

Well right now, I'm well rested and it'll be a waste trying to go back to sleep. "Go to sleep Clint, It's my turn to watch anyway."

Clint hesitates, but finally relents. No one can stay awake forever. He settles down at the mouth of the hut, besides Bobbi who had laid back down to sleep. His arm snakes around her waist protectively and she smiles softly before falling asleep. He soon follow after her. I pry my eyes away from the couple and turn to Steve who begins to get up from his spot. "What are you doing? Go back to sleep."

Steve shakes his head, "No. I'll keep you company."

I frown, "I can watch by myself. Besides you need your rest." _Because you almost died today. _I purposely leave out. All his energy was drained today and he needs to rest up.

Steve sighs, "Are you sure?" he asks, his shoulders drooping in exhaustion.

I nod and motion him over. He crawls over to me and lays down, his head on my lap. "Go to sleep." I whisper, running my hand through his blonde curls. He's asleep within minutes. Leaning against the hut, I keep my knives in a tight grip and allow my eyes to wander around. Now that everything is peaceful and I'm not running for my life, I can actually look around to see what kind of surrounding I'm in. This isn't a forest, as I figured out before, it's more of a jungle. So far I've only found that animal we cooked earlier, but now I'm curious to know what other kind of animals live here. There isn't the original squirrels, deers or raccoons running around. These animals seem foreign and unnatural.

After about an hour of sitting there, the lightning stops. I can hear the rain coming in, though, pattering on the leaves a few hundred yards away. I keep waiting for it to reach us, but it never does. But shockingly, it only rains for a few minutes. The elusive rain shuts of suddenly, like the storm did last year in the arena. Moments after it stops, I see the fog sliding softly in from the direction of the recent downpour.

_Just a reaction. Cool rain on the streaming ground. _I think.

It continues to approach at a steady pace. Tendrils reach forward and then curl like fingers, as if they are pulling the rest behind them. As I watch, I feel the hairs on my neck begin to rise. Something's wrong with this fog. The progression of the front line is too uniform to be natural. And if it's not natural…

I reach for the others, shouting for them to wake up when a sickeningly sweet odor begins to invade my nostrils. In the few seconds it takes to rouse them, I begin to blister.

"Run! Run!" I scream at the others.

Clint, Steve and Bobbi snap awake instantly, rising to counter an enemy. But when they see the wall of fog, Steve instantly shakes Pepper and doesn't wait for her to wake up. He tosses her over his shoulder and begins running with Bobbi and myself following. Clint forcefully shakes Tony and has the boy up and running within a few seconds.

"What it is?" Clint demands from behind me. "What is it!?"

"Some kind of fog!" I scream. "But it's poisonous. Hury!" I urge.

I look back at the wall of fog descending on us in a straight line as far as I can see in either direction. A terrible impulse to flee, to abandon my allies and take Steve with me shoots through me. It would be so simple, to run full out with him. Perhaps even climb a tree above the fog line. But when I turn around to look at Steve, he still has Pepper in his clutches and she's holding onto him like a lifeline. I violently curse under my breath. If he wasn't carrying her, I would've been able to do it, but she's preventing me from running away with Steve. And I know Steve wouldn't put her down and leave her, especially when she's so scared and disorientated from being shaken awaken so abruptly. She probably doesn't have control of her legs at the moment.

It didn't realize it, but I seem to have slowed down enough for the fog to catch up to me. I scream as the chemicals find my flesh and cling it to. They burn, but like fire. It burrows down through the layers of skin. The jumpsuits are no help at all. We may as well be dressed in tissue paper, for all the protection they give. The chemicals found my leg and I frail forward, in a tangle mess of limbs. I cant help the continuous screams as I try desperately to crawl away, my right leg seeming to become paralyze and useless. Steve stops at the sound of my scream and is about to run back to help me, when Clint gets to me first. He noticed I was having problems the minute I began to scream. The fog touches him too, but he doesn't scream. Only picks me up, breathing heavily through gritted teeth, and throws me over his shoulder as he takes off running, Bobbi at his side and Tony and Steve slightly ahead of us. The fog had touched Bobbi and Tony too. The side of her face is enflamed and Tony's arm lays useless at his side, unable to move. Clint has minimal damage to his face and his arms seem to flailing uncontrollably. He cant use them anymore and if I fall off his shoulder, he wouldn't be able to pick me up. I hold on for dear life, my legs having no use and I know if I fall, I'm dead.

When I look over at Bobbi, the left side of her face sagged, as if every muscle has died. The kid droops, almost concealing her eye. Her mouth twists in an odd angle towards the ground. "Bobbi-" I begin and that's when I feel the spasm run up my arm. Whatever chemical laces the fog does more than burn- it targets our nerves. A whole new kind of fear shoots through me when I realized the fog has moved in on us. Steve turns around when he notices we're having trouble. "RUN!" He shouts. "FASTER!" His speech is slightly garbled, but we're still able to figure out what he's saying.

Clint, Bobbi and Tony move considerably faster with Steve cheering them on, and even though the fog is catching up, I realize Clint had begun a trail diagonal down a hill. Steve is following as well with Pepper still hanging from his back. They're trying to keep a distance from the gas while steering us toward the water that surrounds the Cornucopia. I almost cry out in relief. _Water! _

Now I'm thankful I didn't kill Clint or Bobbi. Because I wouldn't have gotten out of here alive and, mostly likely, neither would Steve. Clint's legs begin to betray him at this point and he trips over a rock and the two of us go downhill. I seem to have no ability to stop my own forward motions and simply propel myself onward until I trip myself. Everyone else closely follows.

_This is where and how and when we all die._ I think. But the thought is abstract and far less alarming then the current agonies of my body. Now I can see the wall of fog, which has taken on a pearly white quality. Maybe it's my eyes playing tricks or moonlight, but the fog seems to be transforming. Yes it's becoming thicker, as if it has pressed up against a glass window and is being forced to condense. I squint harder and realize the fingers no longer protrude from it. In fact, it has stopped moving forward entirely. Like other horrors I have witnessed, it has reached the end of its territory. Either that or the Gamemakers have decided not to kill us just yet.

"It's stopped." I try to say, but only an awful croaking sound comes out of my mouth. "It's stopped!" I say again and this time I must be clearer because everyone turn their heads to the fog. It begins to rise upward now, as if being slowly vacuumed into the sky. We watch until it has all been sucked away and not the slightest wisp remains. I sigh in relief and slump against the ground in exhaustion. I hear moans all around me from my companions as the pain finally consumes them. Before I can stand another second, I pull myself onto all fours and lift my head, only to shriek in fear and crawl back as fast as my bones will allow.

"Natasha?" Steve's muffled, hoarse voice asks from behind me. "What is it?"

I don't know what I'm staring at, but this… creature has big, round eyes, large pointy ears, a small torso and claw-like fingernails. I've never seen anything like it before in person, but it looks similar to a picture I had seen in the Capitol. This creature was in it, but looked much sweeter, and childlike. Also the creature didn't have fangs or claws. I think I heard someone call it an elf. "I don't know." I whisper softly trying not to alert _it. _

I can feel someone behind me and when they put their hand on my shoulder, I chance a glance behind me. It's Clint. He nods his head towards in the opposite direction. The others have begun to move away slowly, Steve waiting for us to follow. Without tearing our eyes away from it, Clint and I begin to move backwards until we meet Steve then we all limp away, since walking or running now seems as remarkable a fear as flying. We limp until the vines turn to a narrow strip of sandy beach and the warm water that surrounds the Cornucopia laps our feet. I jerk back only to fall flat on my butt as if I've touched an open flame. I can almost hear my mother laugh at my reaction. _Rubbing salt in a wound _I can hear her voice whisper in my ear_. _Without hesitation, I crawl forward and shove my hands in the water biting my bottom lip to hold in a scream. The water makes the pain of my wounds so blinding I nearly black out. But there's another sensation, of drawing out. Torturous, yes, but then less so and through the layers of water I see a milky substance leaching out of the wounds on my skin. As the whiteness diminishes, so does the pain. I unbuckle my belt and strip off my jumpsuit, which is little more than perforated rag. My shoes and undergarments are inexplicably unaffected. Little by little, one small portion of a limb at a time, I soak the poison out of my wounds. When I turn my head I see Steve and Pepper doing the same. But Clint, Tony and Bobbi backed away from the water at first touch and lies face down on the sound, either unwilling or unable to purge themselves.

Finally, when I have survived the worst, opening my eyes underwater, sniffling water into my sinuses and snorting it out and even gargling repeated to wash out my throat, I'm functional enough to help Bobbi. Steve takes Clint and Pepper takes Tony. Together we drag through the water and help soak out the poison, even resulting to comforting them when they panic and scream because of the pain. Even when she's in pain, Bobbi doesn't fight as much as I thought she would. When I'm done, she just lies there, eyes shut, giving an occasional moan. I look around with growing awareness of how dangerous a position we're in. Its night, yes, but this moon gives of too much light for concealment. We're lucky no one's attacked us yet. "I'm going to tap a tree." I say as I pull Bobbi back with me to lean her up against a tree. Steve and Pepper are still working on Clint and Tony since both refuse to put their heads underwater. Bobbi did at first, but I finally convinced her to do it.

Steve shakes his head in frustration. "Let me get water." He says letting go of Clint. "You deal with him." I smirk up at him as he storms past me because he's very adorable when he's angry. When Steve walks out of my line of view, I turn to Clint. Walking up to him, I place my hand on his shoulder. "There's just your head left, Clint. That's the worst part, but you'll feel much better after if you can bear it." I say in a calm voice, my fingers tightening on his shoulder.

He shakes his head, "No." He moans.

I roll my eyes, if he wants to be stubborn so can I. "We can do this the easy way." I reach behind me and grab an arrow. "Or the hard way."

Clint eyes the arrow warily. "You wouldn't dare."

"Do you want to test me?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. Of course I wouldn't do it, but I can't possibly tell him that or else he won't do it. Finally Clint relents when he sees how dead serious I am. I help him to sit up and let him grip my hands as he purges his eyes and nose and mouth.

By the time Pepper and I finish with both boys, they begin to get usage of their limbs again and begin to splash around in the water. Bobbi, Pepper and I sit on the sand watching the boys play. They dive and surface, spraying water into each other faces. Pepper giggles every once in a while and Bobbi just rolls her eyes. I just watch with a bemused smile on my face. Might as well let them have some fun. Fun in the arena is very limited. But it's by them that both boys go underwater and don't resurface for a while. They're underwater so long that I feel certain they've drowned until they both pop back up right next to us.

I frown, "Don't do that."

"What? Come up or stay under?" Clint questions swimming up to me.

"Either. Neither. Whatever. Just soak and behave. Or if you feel this good, let's go help Steve."

In just the short time it takes to cross the edge of the jungle, I become aware of the change. Put it down to years of hunting, but I sense the mass of warm bodies poised above us. They don't need to chatter or scream. The mere breathing of so many is enough. I don't even need to alert the others of the change because they notice it too, Steve is the only one oblivious. During the time we were all absorbed in restoring our bodies, they assembled. Not five or ten, but scores of monkeys weigh down the limbs of the jungle trees. The pair we spotted when we first escape the fog felt like a welcoming committee. This crew feels ominous. I turn my guns off safety, Clint and Bobbi arms their bows with two arrows each, Tony grips the glowing blue arc in his hands like a lifeline and Pepper poises her knives in front of her. "Steve," I whisper as calmly as possible. "We need your help with something."

"Okay, just give me a minute, I think I've just about got it." He says, still occupied with the tree. "Yes. There. Have you got the spile?"

"I do, but we've found something you'd better take a look at." I continue in a measured voice. "Only move towards us quietly, so you don't startle it." For some reason I don't want him to notice the elves or even glance their way. There are creatures that interpret mere eye contact as aggression. Steve turns to us, panting from his work on the tree. The tone of my request is so odd that it's alerted him to some irregularity. "Okay," He says casually. He begins to move through the jungle, as silent as a mouse. He's only halfway to us when his eyes dark up for a second, but it's as if he's triggered a bomb. The elves explode into a shrieking mass of pale white skin and large sharp claws as they converge on him. Steve seemed to be their target.

I've never seen any creature move so fast. They slide down the vines as if the thins were greased. Leap impossible distances from tree to tree. Fangs bared, hackles raised, claws shooting out like switchblades. "Mutts!" I spit out as our group of five crashes into the greenery. I know every bullet must count and they do. In the eerie light, I bring down elf after elf, targeting eyes and hearts and throats, so that each hit means a death. But still it wouldn't be enough without the help of everyone. Clint, Pepper and Bobbi spearing the beasts, Tony's blue rays catching multiple at a time and Steve slashing away with his knife. I feel claws on my leg, down on my back, before someone takes out the attacker. The air grows heavy with trampled plants, the scent of blood and the musty stink of the elves. The group positions ourselves in a circle, a few yards apart, our backs to one another. My heart sinks as my gun fires its last bullet. Then I remember I have two extra guns in my holsters and I'm just beginning to reach them when it happens. An elf lunches out of a tree for my chest. I barely have time to react and with no guns, no weapons at all, I brace my body for the claws reaching out for me. I see Steve throw his knife at the oncoming mutt, but the creature somersaults, evading the blade, and stays on its trajectory. Steve and Clint, out of my peripherals, begin to run towards me. But we all know they wont make it in time.

But she does.

Materializing, it seems, from thin air. One moment nowhere, the next reeling in front of me. Already, bloody, mouth open in a high-pitched scream, pupils enlarged so her eyes seem like black holes. The girl tribute from district seven, Sif, throws up her skeletal arms as if to embrace the elf and it sinks it's fangs into her chest.

I drop to my knees instantly and stop three bullets into the mutt until it releases its jaw. I kick the mutt away, bracing myself for me. I have my guns ready and so does everyone else. "Come on, then! Come on!" shouts Steve panting with rage. But something has happened to the elves. They are withdrawing, fading into the jungle, as if some unheard voice calls them away.

"Quick, help me get her." I tell the others when I know for certain they're gone. Clint and Steve pass their weapons and each grab a hold of her. Together they gently carry her the last few yards to the beach while we keep watch. They lay her body on the sand. I kneel beside her and cut away the material over her chest, revealing the four deep puncture wounds. Blood slowly trickles from them, making them look far less deadly then they are. The real damage is inside. By the position of the openings, I feel certain the beast ruptured something vital, a lunch, maybe even her heart. She lies on the sand, gasping like a fish out of water. Sagging skin, sickly green. I hold one of her twitching hands, unclear whether it moves from the poison that affected our nerves, or the shock of the attack. "I'll watch the trees." Tony says, ushering the others away from Steve and I give us privacy. I'd like to walk away too, but she grips my hand so tightly I would have to pry off her fingers and I don't have the strength for that kind of cruelty. Especially after she saved my life. I feel obligated to be here.

Sif takes a long deep breath, her grip tightening. "N-Nat… Nat-… 'Tasha." She finally finishes.

"Yes?" I whisper coming closer so she doesn't have to strain to speak so loud.

"It… I-It hurts." She whimpers softly.

"I'm so sorry." I sincerely reply, tears running down my face. I glance down at her body. I'm the reason she's hurting. I'm the reason she sacrificed herself. "This is my fault."

Sif, weakly, shakes her head. "No… n-not your fault. Their fault."

"You're dying because of me." I decide to be blunt. Everyone knows she's dying. She does too. "It is my fault." I feel Steve's hand on my shoulder, but I don't acknowledge him right now.

Sif smiles up at me, "Yes I am… d-dying. But," she lifts my head up so I can look at her. "I'm dying a warriors death. That's all I… ever wanted. I-I… was never a… c-contestant in this game. I wasn't going to win. N-No one came. in. here. a winner… except you." She whispers, her voice cracking and going up different octaves with every sentence. Her grip tightens just slightly before going slack. "You have to win." Her voice gets softer and softer until it's almost inaudible. I'm already shaking my head before she's even finished. "You have to. You're a f-fighter. You can w-win."

"I can't." I cry in a moment of weakness. I honestly believe I can't. There is no way I'm making it out of this arena. I can't leave without Steve and if Steve dies, I don't know what I'll do.

"You can. Y-You can.. and you will. For y-your brother." She says quietly, tears swimming beneath her eyes. I look away to avoid look into her eyes that are slowly losing its color. "For… m-me." I cover my mouth as I begin to make those awful choking sounds. "Don't be sad." She whispers wiping my tears away with her thumbs. "T-This was… meant to be. But can you do a f-favor?"

I snap my head to look at her, "Anything." I desperately plead. This guilt will eat me alive if she dies without me repaying my debt.

"F-Find Thor… my dis-… my district… partner. P-Please. Find him, h-help him." Her eyes close only to pop back open. She desperately tries to stay awake. My heart hurts for her and I lean forward even more.

"Of course. I'll do it, I promise."

Sif smiles with all the energy she has left. "T-Thank… you."

Less than a minute later, her chest stops moving and her breathing stops. The grip on my hand goes limp and her hand falls back onto her chest. The canon sounds seconds after her last breathe and the sobs begin.


	15. Chapter 15

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 15**

**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

"No"

"I have to find him."

"No, Natasha I strongly disagree with you."

"I have to. I promised Sif and-"

"Promises were made to be broken." I glare at him, very tempted, despite what he did for me, to send a bullet right through his head. How can he say that? How, after he just saw Sif do that for me. After she saved my life. He wants to move on as if none of it happened, as if Sif never even came near us and as if she never jumped in front of an elf and took its claws in her chest for me. Well it's easy for him to do. Don't look back and move on. But it's not for me and Steve. Why can't he see the way I do? I need to do this for Sif. She saved my life and died for me, the least I could do is doing her dying wish. Despite my hatred for having allies, this seems different to team up with Thor. Now if only Clint will agree with me.

Crossing my arms over my chest I sneer at him, "Not when you owe a debt to someone who saved your life. Like you would ever know." I turn around, about to walk away, when Clint stops me.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What's it matter, you wouldn't understand." Clint opens his mouth to argue, but Bobbi slaps him before he can speak.

"Just stop. Let the girl do what she wants to do." I almost shouted out an exasperated thank you-almost. Instead I settle for an amused smirk sent in Clint direction. He rolls his eyes,

"Fine, but when Thor is seconds away from slitting yours or Steve's throat don't come crying to me." Clint stomps off, Bobbi behind him telling to quit being a baby and Tony and Pepper following closely behind. I look at Steve and he places a gentle kiss on my forehead before giving me a gentle push on the others direction. Sighing I grab Steve's hands and continue moving forward, looping my arm through his. We continue in silence, the two of us, listening to the steady feet of the others in front of us until they are a good distance away from us. That's when I decide to break it,

"Do you think I'm making the right decision? About Thor?"

"Natasha, if I were in your situation, I would do the same thing."

"You would?" I ask like a small child my face turning into a smile. We stop waking and Steve turns to face me, his hands going up to rest on my cheek. He nods and caresses my cheek.

"You are only trying to do someone's last wish, and you are putting Sif needs above your own. Like a leader should."

"But I'm not a leader."

"With the way you act and the way you strategize, you might as well be one." Steve gives me a smile before beginning to walk away, pulling me along with him. Is Steve right? Would I be a good leader?

I'm about to speak again when I'm cut off by a shout of alarm. Steve and I share a quick glance, an unspoken agreement made between the two of us, before we take off running, trying to catch up with the others and see what caused that sound to come out of their mouth.

By the time we get there, three figures, about two spokes away, stumble onto the beach. Tony nods towards them and as if by some unspoken agreement we all walk towards them. The trio's in bad shape- you can see that right off. One is being dragged out by a second, and the third wanders in loopy circles as if deranged. They're solid brick-red color as if they've been dipped in paint and left out to dry. "Who is that?" Steve asks. "Or what? Muttations?" I reload my gun and aim it ready for an attack. But all that happens is that the one who was being dragged collapses on the beach. The dragger bends down next to the figure and apologizes in a clear British voice that reminds me of someone. A certain 12 year old brunette.

I look over at Steve and see his eyes dawn with realization and he meets my face for a second before blurting out, "Peggy!" At the sound of her name called she turns to face us and the pain, sorrow and relief is evident on her face. Her companions also look up at the sound of her voice. It's Bruce and Betty.

Without replying she makes a run for us, well I assume she's trying to run. She's moving fast, but there's a limp in her run and a wince comes out of her mouth every once in a while. But that still doesn't stop her from getting to us and she continues running. Her face, although has streaks of blood coming from a small cut on her forehead, seems unscathed and a smile replaces the pained expression when she gets in reach of Steve. Seconds later she throws herself at him. I'm not surprised considering the times I'd caught her starring at him during training sessions and during the interview when he was in his suit. I think she developed a little crush on him. Steve caught up by surprise catches her instantly. His arms wrap around her waist and she clings to him as hard as her little arms will allow. She buries her head into his shoulder. "Steve." She whispers in complete content as if the only place she wants to be right now is in his arms. I find myself smiling at the sight of the two. Steve's arms tighten around her and a hand comes up to rest on her head as she closes her eyes in bliss, a tear slipping down her face. They stay like that for a while before Steve starts to remove his arms. "Don't. Please don't let go of me. Not yet. You make me feel safe." More tears run down her face as she holds even tighter to Steve, her face displaying mixed emotions. Steve looks heartbroken and torn before he bends down on his knees in front of her, to hold her better. From where I stands I can see she's shaking in his arms, her tiny form vibrating next to his and Steve comforts her with soft, calming words. Poor girl. She's must've been scared out of her mind, having to navigate through the woods with no one to help her, Bruce nearly dead and Betty so lost in her own world. For what she's done for the past day, I believe she deserves a little time to show vulnerability and weakness. Steve doesn't seem to mind that she picked him to be the shoulder she cried on, in fact he looks very relieved and happy.

As I'm watching him comfort her I find myself kneeling beside the two and placing a hand on Peggy's shoulder. She looks back at me, notices who beside her and grabs a hold of my hand. I stiffen immediately, unfamiliar with the touch. But just like I did with Tony, I pushed it aside and composed myself before she noticed. Steve gives me a smile and pulls away to look directly at Peggy. "Everything is going to be okay. Hey, you're here with us now. Don't cry, ssh it's okay." Peggy looks up at Steve through her eye lashes and nods slightly before hugging him again.

Steve holding Peggy reminds me of a father holding his baby girl. Giving her comfort and love after they just experienced a bad dream and I can't help, but think of my father and I.

Steve smiles and kisses her cheek before placing the child on her own feet. His smile soon turns into a look of concern when Peggy gives a hiss of pain. His eyes flicker to her leg before he speaks. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll live," she says grabbing Steve's hand and pulling him forward. "But they're injured, they need help!" Peggy reaches out to grab my hands with her other, about to pull us towards the two figures that still lay in the water. "I tried my best to keep them alive after the attack and I'm scared they're gonna die if their wounds aren't treated. It will be my fault their gone."

"Why do you say that?" Bobbi asks cautiously, eyeing Peggy as if she possesses a threat. Seeing Bobbi look at her like that, like an animal, I feel a sudden protectiveness over the little girl and I stand between them bending down to her level giving her a smile.

"Why do you feel as if it's your fault?" I ask hesitating before placing a hand on her arm. She leans into my touch which makes me smile, she trust Steve and I enough to actually let us touch her.

Tears well in her eyes and she shakes her head, a hand coming up to wipe her tears. "Please come help them." She grabs my hands again and reaches for Steve. He willingly grabs her hands and the three of us make our way to Bruce and Betty. Betty seems to be trying to coax a response out of Bruce. Looking over my shoulder I see the others talking amongst themselves as if debating something. Once Steve and I make it to the water, I see them walking towards us. Peggy drops our hands and falls to her knees next to the unconscious Bruce. "We were attacked by some sort of thing and he tried to protect me as much as he could. He hid me and Betty out of sight and took on it on by himself. It overpowered him. There was only so much I could do and Betty was in shock before we were attacked so she was no help. Only before I could do anything the mutt vanished, as if someone was calling them. Telling them to stop. I tried to patch up the wound with what we had, which wasn't a lot and he's lost a lot of blood." Tears start running down her face as she continues to speak, get words getting cut off because if her sobs. "He was only trying to protect me. And he got hurt because of me. This is my fault, it's my fault he's hurt."

"Hey" Steve says firmly getting down on his knees. "Hey Peggy, look at me. Look at me." He repeats when she avoids his gaze only staring at Bruce, a hand running up and down his arm in a comforting manner. Sighing she raises her head and allows Steve's baby blue eyes to meet her brown ones. Steve grabs onto one of her hands shaking his head. "Did you trust Bruce? Did you respect him?" She gives him a slight nod, her eyes flickering to Bruce then back at Steve. Steve places one of his hands on her cheek; she leans into it willingly, and gives her a smile. "Then stop blaming yourself. He did what he did to protect you and Betty because you needed to be protected-"

"But he didn't have to risk his life for us!" Peggy shouts, her body turning back to Bruce, hands on his arms and tears dripping onto his body. "Why did you? You shouldn't have Bruce, you shouldn't have!"

"He did it because he wanted too Peggy," Steve says gaining her attention again. "He did it because it was the right thing to do. Bruce was only trying to help, don't beat yourself up about it. He's not going to die." Steve says firmly.

"H-How do you know?" Peggy asks, her voice shaking slightly.

Steve gives her a smile and ruffles up her hair chuckling. "Because we'll help him. Then Betty, then you. Okay?" She nods slowly, her mind trying to comprehend what Steve is saying to her. Steve seems to notice and places a hand on her cheek before whispering, "You're not alone. Now you have us."

"I do?" She asks hopefully holding Steve's hand tighter.

"She does?" I hear Tony from behind me. I snap my head towards him glaring with my best death stare. He shuts up immediately and turns his attention to the ground. Pepper shoots me an apologetic smile and I nod bending down beside Steve. He smiles at her and gives her a reassuring squeeze completely ignoring Tony as if he never spoke.

"You do. It's nice to have a couple more allies on our team." Steve says, but I can tell he's lying through his teeth. We don't want allies, we never wanted allies, but we will willingly take Thor, Bruce, Betty and Peggy. Peggy is about to say something, but is cut off by a pained moan from the boy beside her. A shaky hand reaches up to touch something on his side, but she grabs his hand before he could.

"No Bruce, don't touch. It needs to heal."

"What does?" I ask crawling up beside them.

"When we were attacked, Bruce was trying to get back to Betty and I. It were taking him away, separating him from us and he was fighting. Fighting hard. He let his guard down for a minute. Just a minute because he looked over to see if we were okay and that's when the claws entered the left side of his body."

"Claws?" Pepper gasps horrified.

Peggy nods sadly."I-I don't know. It was s-something I've never s-seen before. It was ugly, had sharp teeth and claws, was hunched over and was...h-huge! Ten times bigger than us. I don't know what it was, but it was much worse than any mutt the Capitol could bestow on us. It destroyed everything in its path and nearly killed Bruce, even when he wasn't in his human form."

...

"Human form?" We all exclaim in disbelief, almost seeming breathless when we speak. What does she mean by human form? Is she announcing that he's not human? Of course he's human!? There is no other form Bruce should have! The only mutts in this arena of those of the Capitol.

I can see Peggy' s eyes widen from my peripherals, but she keeps her back towards us and composes herself quickly. I grab Steve's hands immediately, to help keep my sanity in check. He gives me a reassuring squeeze before crawling up to sit beside Peggy. Steve looks down at Bruce, glances at Betty before turning his attention to her, "Peggy...What do you mean when Bruce wasn't in human form?" Peggy looks very disappointed in herself. Was it since secret? Was Bruce hiding something more behind his little science fascination act? Was he even interested in science? Did he even know he could do it? Of course he did, why wouldn't he? But the main question here is Bruce dangerous? Is he dangerous and possess a dark threat to us? Will he hurt us and not even realize it, kill us and see it as chance to get home quicker? Use it to his advantage? Doubt it. If he wanted to hurt anyone he would've done it by now, with Peggy and Betty. They'd be long gone. But Peggy says that Bruce was protecting them from whatever mutt they faced.

I see the others leaning in trying to hear what Peggy has to say. But before Peggy opens her mouth to say anything, Betty gets our attention when she suddenly drops to her knees beside Bruce, a hand caressing his cheek. She leans down and presses a gentle kiss on his cheek before speaking. "He's not dangerous. He's not evil. And he definitely is not a monster. He hates himself, which I don't understand why. He's helped so many people and it was only one incident. He'll never forget it, and will always blame himself for it." I'm not sure who she's talking to. Her words sound like there for us, but the slight sound of reassurance makes it sound like it's for her.

Betty looks back at me and gestures for me to come forward, to sit beside her. I do just as she wants and she turns to me, a small smile on her face. "There's something you should know before you agree to take us on as allies. And please keep an open mind about this. I know it will be difficult to process, trust me it was difficult for me, but once you understand you have to know he won't harm you. I do hope that once you know, you won't reconsider your decision. Just as I said, he means no harm and will do nothing to put you, Steve and your child in danger or kill you. He's very protective of those who are vulnerable and will do whatever he can to ensure yours and your baby's safety." I glance at Steve and shift uncomfortably on my knees, my eyes dropping from Betty's to Bruce's form. His eyes are closed in a painful grimace and his hands are closed in tight fists. This is the second time my fake pregnancy has been announced since we got into the arena. I'm wondering just how much time I'll have let before I accidently blurt out that I'm not pregnant. I may be good at secrets, but if it's something this huge, I wont be able to help myself. Betty reaches over and squeezes my hand; her blood covered one covering mine. "He has full of control of it now, unlike when he first found out, but he's still the same Bruce you knew in training." We all keep silent, our minds pondering on what she just said and also trying to understand what she means. What is she about to tell us? I promise to keep an open mind, but no promises about the reconsideration. "He's still the same Bruce. Don't treat him any differently than the kindness we've ever gotten in such a long time and it made him so happy. Don't… don't take that from him." She whispers, directing her words towards Steve and I. My mind instantly revisits the memory of when Bruce and Betty showed us the forced field and how Steve and I were very intrigued by their interest in science. Steve had a look of awe and wonderment as he listened to Bruce talk about some inventions he had made throughout his life. Once in a while Steve would jump in with comments, questions or concerns and listen respectfully to whatever Bruce had to say. To be honest, I swore I saw Bruce light up at the chance to speak with Steve when he asked him a question.

We share a glance before we both nod or agreement, Steve coming to take a place beside Betty. "Betty, please… we need to know what kind of danger we're in by taking him on as an ally."

"Your not in any danger, I assure you. Like I said, Bruce would never hurt anyone, unless his or my lives are at risk." Betty says quickly and reassuringly. We all keep silence as we watch Betty trying to think of way to tell us… tell us what? Our attention is diverted minutes later when there is a small cough from the boy beside us. Leaning over him protectively Betty whispers, "Bruce." Her voice lacing in worry and fear. Bruce gives another cough in response and that's when I notice something red drip out of his mouth. What is that? Another cough confirms my suspicion when more red liquid oozes out of his mouth. _Blood_. I can feel myself cringe, internally and externally, but I hold myself in place when more blood comes out of his mouth. I subconsciously wrap my arms around my mid-section and force myself to keep my attention on the three in front of me. Steve doesn't seem fazed by the blood dripping down Bruce's mouth. In fact, his eyes harden and his hand wraps around Bruce's arm. He directs his words to Betty, his voice taking on a commanding tone.

"Turn him over, turn him over." Betty quickly grabs onto Bruce's torso and assists Steve in turning Bruce over. Once Bruce is on his stomach, Steve looks over at me, "Natasha give me the backpack. There's a medical kit inside." Without hesitation I slip off the backpack and throw it towards him, which he catches easily. I watch as Steve rummages through the bag before pulling out a decent sized first aid kit. Peggy joins Betty in trying to help Bruce clear his airways in order to speak and offer comfort to the injured boy. Bruce lets out a large cough which ends in a lot of blood spilling out of his mouth and onto the wet sand below us. By that time, I don't think I can watch anymore as I feel bile rise up my throat so I turn away. I can hear Betty and Margaret giving small 'it's okay.' 'ssh.' 'just breath, and relax. We've got you.' to the incoherent Bruce and Steve looking through the kit. Glancing up at the others I can see that they, also, diverted their eyes away, looking all directions except at the regurgitating man before them.

We stay like this until I find a hand falls on my shoulder. Looking up through lashes I find Steve giving me a concern stare, his hands hovering slightly on my lower back and lower abdomen in a protective hold. I push back the feeling of nausea and take my time before slowly nodding my head. "I'm fine." I whisper, loud enough for only Steve to hear. He gives me a look and I grab his hand giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine." I repeat, my voice steadier. He nods, taking a deep breath and offers me a hand.

"'Tasha, his wounds need to be cleaned and wrapped up. Do you know anything about this? How to do it? Since your mother is a doctor."

"Your mother's a doctor?" Betty asks, the relief and happiness evident in her voice and facial expression. I find myself rubbing the back of my neck and nodding sheepishly,

"Well… not really a doctor, but the closest thing we have to one in district 12. She is that people are sent to when they are burned in the mines, or have developed a disease, but usually not many people can get their loved ones to her on time." Betty's smile widens and she steals a glance at Bruce before turning back to me. Her hands pressed together in front of her and her mouth set in a firm line, clearly begging for my help. I bite my bottom lip and slowly reach out for the stuff in Steve's hand. His face relaxes in relief and he willingly passes over what he has in his hands; bandages and sterilizer and the first aid kit. Taking a peek inside, I find myself relaxing at the stuff inside seeing that some things could be used for his side. Reaching inside I take out the gauze, three rag clothes, and painkillers. I share a look with Steve and he nods his head. Leaning down he whispers softly in Bruce's ear before lifting him up in his arms. I take Betty and Margaret by the hand and we all go back to our little beach camp. I sit Betty and Margaret in the shallows so they can get washed up a bit and order to stay put while I work on Bruce. She seems to wanna protest, but otherwise keeps her mouth shut, her eyes going over to where Steve lays Bruce down. Bruce's clothes are glued to him with blood, so Steve holds him in the water while I loosen them. It takes some time to get the jumpsuit off, and then we find his undergarments are saturated with blood as well, but we can clearly see the whole made in both the jumpsuit and the undergarments. The real problem is what lays below the ragged garments. There is no other choice, but to strip him naked to get him clean and so I can tend to his wound, but I have to say this doesn't make much of an impression on me anymore. Our kitchen table's been full of so many naked men this year. You kind of get used to it after a while.

We put down the mat Pepper and Bobbi made and lay Bruce on his back so we can examine his side. My only meal in the arena is slowly threatening to make an appearance as I gaze at the deep inflamed gash oozing both blood and pus. The swelling of the side, but worst of all… the smell of festering flesh. I want to run away. Disappear into the woods like I did the first day I witness a burned victim be brought to my mother. Go and hunt while my mother attend to what I have neither the skill nor the courage to face. But there is no one here, but me. Well the others, but they barely know how to put on a band aid, never mind try to keep Bruce alive by cleaning his side. I try to capture the calm demeanor my mother assumes when handling particularly bad cases. Bruce has lost a lot of blood- you can tell by the pallor of his skin- and it's still oozing out of the wound. I get to work immediately,

"Steve I need you to apply pressure with this." I toss him one of the cloth rags, biting the second one in half. Steve catches it and presses it immediately to his side. "Keep it there for at least 10 minutes, if it doesn't stop bleeding I'll take over from there. I'm going to take a look at Peggy's leg." Steve nods, but doesn't turn his eyes away from Bruce. I join Betty and Peggy in the shallows. "Okay Peggy, which leg is it?"

She shrugs off my concern, "Betty is injured. I'm f-fine…" I give her a pointed look and she seems to crumble under my stare. She shrinks back into the rock behind her and hides herself behind Betty. Betty seems so out of it, going back to her delusional state, that she doesn't even notice my presence or the child clinging to her from behind. Peggy's not going to budge unless I tend to Bruce and Betty first.

Betty doesn't even resist as I work off her clothing, scrub the blood from her clothing. But her eyes are dilated with fear, and when I speak, she doesn't respond except to say with every increasing urgency, "Tick tock."

"She's gone back to her state of shock." Peggy whispers silently behind her. "Dehydration isn't helping her." And that's when Peggy's hands come up to cup her neck. She's thirsty. They both are. I turn to the others who stand awkwardly watching, not knowing what to do.

"Tony, Clint." I call them over. They turn their attention to us and I nod my head motioning for them to come forward. They do and my hands fumble with the spile on my belt. I sigh in relief that it's still attached to me even after the elf fight. Unbuckling it from the belt I toss it into Tony's hands and nod towards the forest. "Go tap a tree. Betty, Bruce and Margaret need water and we could probably use some as well." They give me a swift nod and leave without a word. "Don't worry, they'll get some." I tell Peggy as I turn my attention back to Betty.

She urgently repeats, "Tick Tock!" when she gets my attention again. She does seem to be trying to tell me something, but with no Bruce to explain her thoughts, I'm at a loss.

"Yes tick tick, tock. Tick tock." I say. This seems to calm her down a little. I lay her down on her stomach so I can examine her back. There's a gash about six inches long running from her shoulder blade to below her ribs. Fortunately it's not too deep, but it still takes my breath away. I sit back on my heels, trying to think. What do I have to work with? Seawater? The first aid kit? I feel like my mother when her first line of defense for treating everything was snow. I look over at the jungle. I bet there's a whole pharmacy in there if I knew how to use it. But these aren't my plants. Then an idea pops in my head. "Be right back," I tell Peggy. Fortunately moss seems to be pretty common in the jungle. I rip an armful from the nearby trees and carry it back to the beach. I make a thick pad out of the moss, place it on Betty's cut and secure it by tying vines around her body. That's when Clint and Tony come back with bowls, tightly woven grass, of water. I get some water into Betty and then pull her into the shade at the edge of the jungle. "I think that's all I can do."

I didn't hear her come up until I heard her, "Your good at this healing stuff." I turn back to find Peggy staring at me, a smile on her face. "It's like you're your mother's blood." I shake my head and push myself off my knee,

"I have my father's blood for hunting." I say helping Peggy go back to where she was before and laying her down in the sand. I press a finger on her ankle which she answers with a hiss of pain. "Definitely sprain, if not, broken. Let me go finish Bruce, than I'll tend to your leg."

"Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

"That you aren't." I say patting her cheek before getting up, taking a handful of moss and going back to Steve and Bruce. Sitting down next to him I ask, "How's he doing?"

"Not sure," Steve replied hesitant about taking away the cloth. "But it doesn't look like it's bleeding like before."

"Let me see." Steve removes the cloth from his side and my heart drops into my stomach. It's worse, much worse. There's no more blood running in streams down his body, but the swelling has increased and the tight shiny skin is inflamed. Then I see the red streaks starting to crawl up his body. Blood poisoning. Unchecked, it will kill him for sure. The soft moss, and small pills in the first aid kit wont make a dent in it. We'll need strong anti- infection drugs from the Capitol. I cant imagine the cost of such potent medicine. If Haymitch pooled every donation from every sponsor, would he have enough? I doubt it.

"Pretty awful, huh?" I hear a weak voice ask. Looking down I see Bruce staring up at me, barely able to keep his eyes open, but a small smirk plays on his face. He's watching me closely.

"So-so." I shrug like it's no big deal. "You should see some of the people they bring my mother from the mines." I refrain from saying how I usually clear out of the house whenever she's treating anything worse than a cold. Come to think of it, I don't even much like to be around coughing. "We've got to clean it first. Steve get some water and food into him, I'll see what I can do with what we have." Searching through the backpack I collected and Peggy collected I found the previously used kit, weapons, more weapons, some sort of glasses, a sleeping bag that reflects body heat- Bruce will definitely need it-, dried fruit, a blanket, a couple of rags, roots and greens that I'm pretty sure are edible if Peggy has them in her bag. Nothing of the caliber I'll need to treat Bruce's wound. Cleaning it and wrapping it up is the best thing I can do, but Bruce is gonna need medical attention or he'll die.

Biting my bottom lip I get straight to work on cleaning and wrapping his side.


	16. Chapter 16

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 16**

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

For a while, Bruce and Peggy gulp water and stuff themselves with shellfish while I try to coax something into Betty. Steve tells about the fog and the dark elves we've encounter since landing in the arena. Once everyone has had food in their stomach, the sun is nowhere near being up yet. Guess the Gamemakers want to keep this endless night endless.

Everyone offers to guard while the others rest, but in the end it's Clint and I who stay up. Me because I'm really rested, he because he simply refuses to lie down. The two of us sit in silence on the beach until the others have gone to sleep. We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, his eyes glancing to me once in a while as if he had something to say, but won't. I pretend not to notice and busy myself in playing with Steve's hair, his head currently using my legs as a pillow. I run my hands through it continuously. A peaceful smile appears on my face and I don't even notice I'm smiling until Clint addresses it. "You really do love him, don't you?"

Looking up I find Clint starring down at Steve as he watches with an amused smirk. I nod the smile seeming to grow larger. "Yeah...I really do."

"And I can tell from the way he looks at you that he loves you too. A lot." I nod my head in acknowledge to let Clint know that I'm still listening to him. There's a slight pause before I break the silence, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"What was Peggy doing with Bruce and Betty?" I wonder aloud, not expecting to get an answer from anyone, but shockingly, I do get one.

"She got them because Haymitch told her if she wanted to be yours and Stee's ally, she would have to bring them to you." Clint doesn't seem to notice my puzzled expression. "That is what you told him right?" When he looks over and raises an eyebrow I quickly compose myself. Despite my annoyance at Haymitch, I cant pose him as a liar for all of Panem to hear. I can only go along with it.

"Yeah, but… how do you know?"

He gives me a smirk before explaining, "When you were patching up Bruce, Pepper and Bobbi were trying to get her to speak. She refused at first until the girls gained her trust. Which reminds me, why does she trust you and Steve so easily?"

I shrug nonchalantly and try to keep the venom out of my voice when I respond. "Maybe because we don't look at her like we want to kill her every time she looks at us." Clint grows quiet for a while and I cant help myself from growing smug at the thought that I shut Clint Barton up. We stay silent, our eyes surveying our surroundings. It's quiet, unusually quiet, and nerve wracking for someone who isn't as acquainted with the woods like I am. Clint seems fine and at ease with the silences that surrounds us. Unfortunately the silence doesn't last long before we hear someone stir behind us. "Tick Tock." I hear and when I turn I see Betty has crawled over. Her eyes are focused on the jungle.

"Oh goody, she's back. Okay, I'm going to sleep. You and Betty can guard together." Clint says as he crawls over to where Bobbi lays.

"Tick Tock" Betty whispers. I guide her to the side of me and get her to lie down, stroking her arm to soothe her. She drifts off, stirring restlessly, occasionally sighing out her phrase. "Tick, tock."

The floor starts trembling beneath us, seeming to stir Steve and Betty awake. I brush my fingers through Steve's hair and pat Betty's arm reassuringly. Betty goes back instantly, but it takes a while for Steve to go back under. Once both of them are asleep, I look up just in time to see the large wave crash over the trees onto the sand. Our camp site is uphill, so luckily the water doesn't hit us, but it does moist the sand in front of us. I busy myself in watching the waves over lap each other and find myself dozing off.

I wake up later to a loud crash. I look up to see the enormous flash as the lightning bolt hits the tree and the electrical storm begins again. Right in the same area it did last night. Someone must have moved into its range, triggered the attack. I sit for a while watching the lightning, keeping Betty calm, lulled into a sort of peacefulness by the lapping of the water. I think of last night, how the lightning began just after the bell tolled.

Twelve bongs.

Betty surfacing in consciousness for a moment and then going back under after muttering a quick 'Tick Tock'.

Twelve bongs last night.

Like it was midnight.

Then lightning.

The sun overhead now.

Like it's noon.

And Lightning.

Slowly, after moving Steve's head off my lap, I rise up and survey the arena. The lightning there. In the next pie wedge over came the creature Bruce, Betty and Peggy encountered with. We would have been in the third section, right next to that, when the fog appeared. And as soon as it was sucked away, the dark elves began to gather in the fourth. Tick Tock. My head snaps to the other side. A couple of hours ago, at around 10, that wave came out of the second section to the left of where the lightning strikes now.

At noon.

At midnight.

At noon.

'Tick Tock.' Betty whispers in her sleep.

As the lightning ceases and I hear something growl in the second section her words suddenly start to make sense. "Oh.." I say under my breath. "Tick, tock." My eyes sweep around the full circle of the arena and I know she's right. "Tick, tock. This is a clock."

A clock. I can almost see the hands ticking around the twelve-section face of the arena. Each hour begins a new horror, a new Gamemaker weapon and ends the previous. Lightning, the Abomination, fog, dark elves- those are the first four hours on the clock. And at ten, the wave. I don't know what happens in the other seven, but I know Betty is right. At present, the Abomination is poised, ready to attack anyone who comes onto its land and we're on the beach below the elves segment, far too close to the fog for my liking. Do the various attacks stay within the confines of the jungle? Not necessarily. The wave didn't. If that fog leaches out of the jungle or the elves return… "Get up." I order shaking Steve, Clint, Tony, and Bobbi awake. Peggy jumps awake at the sound of my voice as if she was anticipating it all day. Pepper and Betty stay asleep and I don't bother waking up Betty since she knew all along, but Tony shakes Pepper awake gently. "Get up- we have to move." There's enough time, though, to explain the clock theory to them. About Betty's tick-tocking and how the movement of the invisible hands trigger a deadly force in each section. Everyone agrees it's better to be safe than sorry.

While the others collect our few possessions and get Bruce back into his jumpsuit, I rouse Betty. She awakes with a panicked 'Tick, tock!'

I grip her shoulders tightly and look her in the eyes, "Tick, tock yes. Tick, tock. The arena's a clock. You were right Betty, you were right." I assure her.

Relief floods her face- I guess because somebody has finally understood what she's known probably from the first tolling of the bells. "Midnight." I nod my head.

It starts at midnight. Betty nods at the sound of the growl again, only louder, "One-thirty." She says.

"Exactly, one- thirty. And at two, a terrible poisonous fog begins there." I say, pointing at the nearby jungle. "So we have to move somewhere safe now." She smiles and stands up obediently. "Are you thirsty?" I hand her the woven bowl and she gulps down about a quart. Clint gives her the last bit of shellfish and she gnaws on it. With the inability to communicate overcome, she's functioning again. I check my weapons. Tie up the spile and the tube of medicine in the parachute and fix it to my belt with a vine. Bruce's still pretty out of it, but when Steve tries to lift him, he objects, "Betty." He says.

"She's right here," Steve tells him. "Betty is fine. She's coming too."

But still Bruce struggles, "Betty." It sounds like he's calling her over. Looking down beside me, Betty looks up at her name and instantly goes to Bruce's side. She sits next to her and caresses his cheek softly. Bruce's eyes fill with tears and he stares at her, fear easily recognized in his eyes. Bruce reaches out and clasps tightly onto her hands, a look of pure agony onto his face. "Betty… d-did I h-hurt you or… P-Peggy? D-Did I kill anyone?" Betty stares down at him sympathetically leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead. I haven't noticed before because it wasn't as visible as it is now, but Bruce slowly starting to shake and turn a bit green. Not the kind of green where he's about to be sick. A darker shade of green. Pulling back, Betty grasps Bruce's face in her hands tightly shaking her head no and leaning in more. She whispers something so softly, so quietly to him that none of us are able to catch, but whatever she said seemed to help him calm a little better. His shaking has slowly started to diminish and his hands slowly relax from being held in a fist so tightly. Peggy- whom was preoccupied helping Tony tap water- leaves Clint with Tony and limps to Bruce's side, with the help of the wooden crutches Steve had made her, taking his hand. Her head is shaking slightly and she gives me a small smile,

"No Bruce. No, you didn't hurt Betty or me. Betty and I are completely fine and no one was killed, but you were severely hurt. You almost died once, but we were able to get your heart going again," I suck in a breath at the news. Peggy never told us that they almost lost Bruce, just that he was hurt and was going to die. Bruce still doesn't look convinced he didn't do anything wrong. Peggy looks over at Betty before looking back at Bruce. "You didn't hurt us." Bruce points at Peggy's leg which happens to be wrapped tightly in the bandages from the first aid kit. Peggy looks down at it and shakes her head slightly, "I'm okay." She insists directing Bruce's attention away from her leg. "I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Natasha cleaned it up and put my bone back into place. And she's the reason you and Betty are still alive."

I find myself flushing slightly at Peggy's phrases and blushing even harder when Bruce's eyes land on me. I move myself to half hide behind Steve and look down at my shoes. "You saved me?" He whispers softly, in disbelief. I shrug off his comment.

"It was nothing, but now we've got to get somewhere safe. Your too weak to walk so Steve is going to carry you, you can trust him." I inform the injured man who nods along to what I'm saying. Steve leans down and picks up the now-unresisting Bruce.

"Where to?"

"I'd like to go to the Cornucopia and watch. Just to make sure we're right about the clock," Clint says. It seems as good a plan as any. Besides, I wouldn't mind the chance of going over the weapons again. And there are 9 of us now. Even if you counting Peggy, Bruce and Betty out, we've got 6 good fighters.

It's great to have allies as long as you can ignore the thought that you'll have to kill them. Bruce, Pepper and Betty will probably find some way to die on their own. If we have to run from something, how far would they get? I need someone to take out Clint, Tony, and Bobbi, since I don't think I can do it on my own. Not after all Clint has done for Steve. I think about maneuvering them into some kind of encounter with the others. It's cold, I know. But what are my options and… Peggy. I know I can never, in a million years, kill Peggy. So I don't know how she's going down because so far she's shown courage and is extremely intelligent. She wont be easily tricked, and she's very sneaky. Even if someone does find her, they'll have to catch her. She's as quiet as a shadow.

We walk down the nearest sand strip, approaching the Cornucopia with care, just in case the others are concealed there. I doubt they are, because we've been on the beach for hours and there's been no sign of life. The area's abandoned, as I expected. Only the big golden horn and the picked-over pile of weapons remain. When Steve lays Bruce in the bit of shade, I didn't notice before, but Bruce has some sort of golden coil of wire grasp tightly in his hands. It's covered in red blood, so I must have mistaken it to be a part of his wound. Once he's seated on the ground, he calls out to Betty. She crouches beside him and he puts the coil of wire in her hands. "Clean it, will you?" Betty nods and scampers over to the water's edge, where she dunks the coil in the water. We're too preoccupied in our discussion that at first we don't notice it until Pepper addresses it,

"Look." She whispers pointing at Betty. Betty has suddenly stood up very straight and her arm slowly extends to point at the jungle.

"Two." She announces. I follow her finger to where the wall of fog has just begun to seep out onto the beach.

"Yes, look, Betty is right. It's two o'clock and the fog has started."

"That's brilliant. You're really smart Betty." Steve praises. Betty smiles and goes back to dunking the coil, occasionally glancing back at Bruce to make sure he's okay.

"Oh she's more than smart. She's intuitive." Bruce says gathering everyone's attention. "She can sense things before anyone else. Like a canary in one of your coal mines." Clint gives Bruce a questioning stare and I find myself answering his unspoken question,

"It's a bird that we take down into the mines to warn us if there's bad air. It stops singing first. That's when you should get out. But if the air's too bad, it dies, and so do you." I don't want to talk about dying songbirds. They bring up thoughts of my father's death. While Betty busies herself in quietly singing some sort of child-like song, we all poke around the pile of weapons, restoring and reloading our weapons. I make sure to have enough ammo for Steve and I both.

While I've been messing with the weapons, Steve's been squatting on the ground, drawing something with the tip of his knife on a large, smooth, leaf he brought from the jungle. I look over his shoulder and see he's creating a map of the arena. In the center is the Cornucopia on its circle of sand with the twelve strips branching out form it. It looks like a pie sliced into twelve equal wedges. There's another circle representing the waterline and a slightly larger one indicating the edge of the jungle. "Look how the Cornucopia's positioned." He says to me. I examine the Cornucopia and see what he means. "The tail points toward the twelve o'clock." Steve explains. "So this is the top of our clock." He says and quickly scratches the numbers one through twelve around the clock face. "Twelve to one is the lightning zone." He writes _lightning_ in tiny print in the corresponding wedge, then works clockwise adding _Abomination, fog, and dark elves _in the following sections.

"And ten to twelve is the wave." I inform him. He adds it and Clint, Bobbi, and Tony join us at this point, armed to the teeth with tridents, axes and knives. Peggy soon comes after. I look up at her and ask if she noticed anything else.

Peggy looks past my shoulder, her face thoughtful as she thinks back to the prior day. Finally she snaps her fingers and nods, "Yeah. Before we encountered the Abomination, there was an army of some sort of soldiers. It had a symbol on their arm and they walked in sync motion, guns held at their shoulders. Luckily Bruce, Betty and I weren't noticed because if we were, we wouldn't have made it out of that section. It was in the fourth section. I think I saw Hydra written on their uniforms." Steve quickly scribbles down _Hydra_.

"I'm going to mark the ones where we know the Gamemakers weapons follows us out the past the jungle. So we know to stay clear of those." Steve says drawing diagonal lines on the fog and waves beaches. Then he sits back. "Well it's a lot more then what we knew this anyway." We all nod in agreement and that's when I notice it. The silence. Our canary has stopped. I don't wait. I pull out two guns, and slip a knife into my second hand as I twist and get a glimpse of the girl from 8 letting Betty slide to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile.

At the sight of Betty, Bruce lets out an ear-splitting shriek. "Betty!" Tears instantly run down his face and his whole body starts shaking angrily, his face turning a hint of green. He goes to lung from his spot, but Peggy grabs him by the shoulder and drags him away from the scene, taking cover for herself as well. I immediately pull the trigger as soon as my sights land on the girl from 8 and the bullet disappears into her right temple, and in the instant it takes to reload Bobbi has buried an arrow into the boy from district 3's chest. Clint knocks away a spear the girl from district 10 threw before it can hit me and is about to take a knife in the thigh when a loud roar halts everyone's actions.

…

A loud roar?

I hear footsteps from behind me and I hesitate to look once I see the expressions on the girl tributes from 5 and 10. But finally I do and… oh my Jesus.

"**ROAR! HULK SMASH!" **


	17. Chapter 17

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 17**

We all stay as still as possible, the green monster's eyes on all of us, eyes filled with hatred and rage. His fist gripped tightly at his side and his chest heaves with every breath. I cant help my eyes from wandering the monster's entire figure and taking in it's most striking features such as the green skin and eyes, the huge pulsing fists that are urging to punching something at the moment, and most scary is the uncanny resemble to someone I know. The facial features reminding so much of the quiet scientist that is currently hiding behind the Cornucopia with Peggy at his side. Or, are they? Did they run away upon seeing the monster? If so, I hope they get as far away as they can. It pains me to imagine Peggy going against this thing and, even though I hate to admit it, it's scary for me to see Bruce against this thing as well. Peggy, small defenseless, having to face this monstrosity is so horrible to think of so I try with all my might not too.

The thing's eyes survey us as if debating on which one to attack first. I can't tell what kind of mutt this thing is? How did the Capitol came up with something this… unique and dangerous?

I'm the closest to it beside Pepper whose only arm length away from me and I get see the nervous expression on Steve's face about my closeness to the… monster? Beast? What is this thing?

I feel my chest getting tighter with every possible second and it isn't until I see Tony mouth 'Breath' that I know the reason why. Taking a deep l can feel my chest becomes lighter and from the corner of my eyes I see Steve start inching his way towards me, very slowly that if you weren't paying attention you won't notice he's moving. And the monster in front of us is far too angry to notice anything, his eyes trained on the dead bodies of the boys from 3 and 8. Its eyes turn slowly to look at Betty's body, it's eyes full of remorse and a glimpse of hope when it sees the slightest rise and fall of her chest. I find myself leaning towards Betty's body in anticipation waiting for her to give us something besides the slightest evidence of her breathing. A twitch, a sound or even a harsh breath to confirm, she'll be okay. I see Steve leaning in as well with Pepper while the others stare up at the monster, their eyes watching it's every move.

"Betty" the monster says going to kneel beside her. But just before he makes it to her side, her chest suddenly halts and the cannons sounds.

_Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The cannons now confirms there's no way to help Betty, no need to finish off the boys from 3 and 8. The monster seems to know that as its eyes widen from realization and his hands freeze halfway from touching the still body of Betty. Only, the next thing happens so fast it couldn't have taken less than two minutes for it to happen all together.

The monsters eyes widen for a split second before it's eyes get clouded by its rage. He heaves out a heavy sigh before screaming, his scream shaking the ground and making everyone stand fall. Suddenly the ground jerks beneath my feet and I'm flung on my side in the sand. The circle of land that holds the Cornucopia starts spinning fast, really fast and I can see the jungle going by in a blur. I feel the centrifugal force pulling me towards the water and I dig my hands and feet into the sand, trying to get some purchase on the unstable ground. Between the flying sand and the dizziness, I have to squeeze my eyes shut. There is literally nothing I can do, but hold on until, with no deceleration, we slam to a stop. Coughing queasy, I sit up slowly to find my companions in the same condition. Clint, Bobbi, Pepper and Tony have hung on. The three dead bodies have been tossed out into the seawater.

We sit there panting, scraping the sand out of our mouths. Looking up I see the last piece of the monster chasing the two girls into the jungle, the only sign of his presence is the shaking ground with every step he takes and the loud roars echoing. When the monster if fully out of sight, I cant help myself from blurting out what's been on my mind since the arrival of the monster, "Where's Peggy?" We're on our feet. One wobbly circle of the Cornucopia confirms she's gone. Clint spots her about twenty yards out in the water, barely keeping afloat, but trying to swim to something a couple yards away from her. I follow her line of vision to the dead body of Betty which lays belly down in the water, the blood from her neck wound staining the blue salt water. The distance between the two is what gets me to take off my weapons. Also the reminder that Betty was important to not only Bruce, but to Peggy. If Peggy continues to swim out to her she'll drown. I can't let her do that.

Before Clint goes to dive in the water I dive, head first, and swim out to tow her in. Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see the hovercraft appearing over Betty and see Peggy try even harder to reach her. To prevent her from reaching the dead body I swim faster and harder, getting to Peggy before she can reach Betty. My arms wrap around the child's midsection immediately and I swim backwards as soon as she's in my arms. She fights against me, trying desperately to get to her friend and I hold on tight. I can't let her go, she has to let go of Betty, she can't help her. I can't help her. She's dead.

Peggy sobs hard, her struggle seeming to get weaker as she cries even harder. "No! NO! Betty! Let me go. Natasha let me go! LET ME GO! BETTY!"

I bite my lip hard and cringe every time she screams and I find myself paddling faster so I can pass this child to Steve. I'm okay with kids because of Aiden, but I don't know how to deal with them when they're crying and upset. Especially this upset.

Once I boost myself on the sand, I scoop the now unresisting child in my arms and head towards the others. They look up at my arrival, but back to what they were doing once they see that I've got Peggy. Tony and Clint are bent over Pepper as Bobbi stands to the side with Steve and looks in. Steve's eyes stay planted on the two of us and can easily read the desperation practically written on my face. He walks to our side with three long strides and places a hand on Peggy's back rubbing softly and offering to carry the child. I sigh in relief and my face must show it because Steve chuckles softly. But my relief is soon dissolved when I realize Peggy wont let go of me and go to Steve. My eyes widen and I look over at Steve mouthing 'Please'. He shrugs and bends down to Peggy's eye level, trying to get her head out from where she tucked it the crook of my neck.

To no avail, she doesn't even turn her attention to Steve. Steve whispers softly to Peggy, "Peggy, let go of Natasha. Come to me, it's okay. Ssh, everything's alright." Peggy glances at Steve from the inside of my neck. She doesn't say anything for a while, just stays in my neck. At first I'm worried she wont go to him until she releases the death grip she has on my arm and holds it out to Steve. My arm relaxes from its tense position of being held from my side because of Peggy's grip on it. Steve smiles at her and grabs her arm before bring her entire body into his arms as if she weighs no less than a puppy and was as small as a toddler. Peggy clings to him, her sobs rising in volume upon entering Steve's arms. Steve holds her and shushes her softly as I gather my weapons and place them back on my wet soaked body. Once I make sure everything is in order and I still have the spile attached to my belt, I walk back over to Steve, whom seemed to have moved to sit in the shade of the Cornucopia, Peggy sitting his lap cradled like a little baby. Not that she minds. She turns her head to bury it in Steve's chest and her sobs has calmed down a little since I left. Steve pulls her away from his chest so he can wipe the tears running down her face and kisses her forehead softly.

Steve places a hand on her cheek forcing her to look at him and gives her look. "Don't cry. Betty wouldn't want you to and I don't want you too. Smile, its better to see a smile on that beautiful face of yours instead of tears. Come on, give me a smile." Steve encourages offering a smile of his own. One of my favorite smiles that always make me smile back, no matter how upset I am. And if it works on me, it definitely will work on Peggy.

It takes a while, but finally Peggy gives him a small smile leaning into his touch on her cheek. "There you go." Steve says brushing away a strand of her hair. "No tears." He uses his thumb to brush away the remaining visible tears on her face as Peggy's eyelids begin to droop. The emotions of today taking a toll on her already. Steve sees it too and whispers softly, "Go ahead. We'll be here when you wake up." Peggy gives him a smile and raises her head to deliver one of her own kisses before letting her head fall back on Steve's arm and closing her eyes tiredly. Soon enough Steve and I hear little snores coming from the child in his arms. We both share a silent laugh and stay in this spot, not finding a reason to get up or conversation. Everyone takes the time to actually thing about what the hell happened ever since we stepped foot on this island. I admit I'm still a bit confused myself.

So much happened in so little time and I don't even know what happened and how districts 3, 5, 8 and 10 were able to sneak up on us without any of us knowing.

Unfortunately, the silence doesn't last long.

"What the fuck was that!?" Tony shouts, the sound of his voice making Steve and I jump and Peggy start to stir. Steve whispers softly to her, urging her to go back to sleep while I glare at Tony. He gives a small shrug, "What? I just saw a 10 foot green rage monster appear out of nowhere and then suddenly the floor breaks right under us! I know I'm not the only one thinking this is some crazy shit right now. What is the Capitol playing at?" I bite my bottom lip and look over at Steve who seems to be looking at me. Tony does have a point. This isn't normal stuff, well normal for the Capitol anyway. Steve gives a shrug and speaks aloud, but quietly for the sleeping girl in his arms.

"He's right. What are they playing at? And what was that?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out. Let's get away from this damn place." Clint says helping Pepper up which I now see has a bandage on her forehead. She must have banged her head up when we all fell to the ground. I know I did, but not as hard.

Looking around I see if we have everyone we need to have. I've just finished counting 7 before I realize who were missing.  
"Hey where's Bruce?" Everyone looks up at me from gathering their weapons and gives a shrug. They look over at Peggy and nod in her direction.

"She was last with him." Tony says taking Pepper from Clint. We all look to the small child and she buries herself deeper into Steve's body, her head resting on his chest as a pillow.

"Oh well," Bobbi says shouldering her bow and arrows. "He'll show up soon if he lives long enough out there with the beast running loose."

But he was just here. Hiding behind the Cornucopia with Peggy. Looking around I find the others collecting their things and I sneak away with a pointed look in Steve's direction. Using the time I have while the others are occupied I go around the Cornucopia in search of the scientist. Going to the last place I assumed Peggy took him I don't see him. The only thing I found in evidence of their presence here is a strand of Peggy's brunette hair as if someone yanked it out of her hair and a shredded blue jumpsuit sitting next to the hair. Picking up the cloth I inspect it and find it to belong to the scientist. Taking the hair and the cloth I go back to the others to inform them of my findings.

When I walk back to the others I find them waiting and ready to go. I hold up the things I have in my hands with a raised eyebrow. "What is that?" Pepper asks coming to take a look. I shrug looking at the items.

"I don't know, I found them in the back of the Cornucopia when I was looking for Bruce. This was all that was there. This looks like a piece of Peggy's hair, but I'm not sure and this looks like Bruce's jumpsuit."

"So, what? Banner is running around this arena in the nude right now?" Tony asks an impressed expression on his face. "Wow, never expected that from him. From them definitely," he said pointing at Clint and Bobbi. "You, possibly" he said nodding towards me and looking at the last three. "And a no for the three of you. And I expected Banner to be in the category. Guess I underestimated him." I cant contain my eye roll that comes after his statement. "Well if he's naked, he wont be hard to miss if we find him in the jungle."

"He wont be naked Tony." Steve says exasperated as he stands, Peggy in his arms. Tony shrugs and goes to stand beside Pepper. Looking around I inspect everyone's weapons.

There's only a few of our weapons now, which we've largely retained. Fortunately the vines here are strong and the spile is still secure to my belt. We decide to head to the beach at twelve o'clock. That should provide hours of calm and keep us clear of any poisonous residue. And then Bobbi, Clint and Tony head off in three different directions.

"Twelve o'clock right?" Clint asks. "The tail points at twelve."

"Before they spun us." Tony reminds him, his face holding a concentrated look. "And if you were judging by the sun, the sun only tells you it's going on four, Clint." Tony explains. "So any one of these paths could lead to twelve o'clock." We circle around the Cornucopia, scrutinizing the jungle. It has a baffling uniformity. I remember the tall tree that took the first lightning strike at twelve o'clock, but every sector has a similar tree. Bobbi thinks we should follow district 5 and 10's path, but that would also lead us directly to the monster. We're trying to avoid danger, not walk into it. And also because their tracks has been washed away by the water. There's no way to tell where anything is. "I should have never mentioned the clock." I say bitterly. "Now they've taken that advantage away as well."

"Only temporarily." Tony says. "At ten, we'll see the wave again and be back on track."

"It doesn't matter." Bobbi says. "You had to tell us or we never would have moved our camp in the first place." She explains logically. "Come on, I need water. Anyone have a good gut feeling?" We randomly choose a path and take it, having no idea what number we're headed for. When we reach the jungle, peer into it, trying to decipher what may be waiting inside.

"Well it must be monkey hour," Steve says. "And I don't see anything. I'm going to tap a tree. Clint could you hold her for a second?" Steve asks about to pass Peggy over to an obviously uncomfortable Clint. To be honest seeing Clint's arms encircle Peggy reminds me about just as fast Clint can kill Peggy if his arms were only inches from her neck before I can get a bullet into his head. I shift uncomfortable and finally feed up with the closeness of Clint and Peggy I open my mouth to say something, but Tony interrupts me.

"No it's my turn." Tony says.

"I'll at least watch your back." Steve volunteers.

"Natasha can do that, besides we need you to make another map. The other washed away." I almost sigh in relief once I see Clint pass Peggy back to Steve. Almost. I feel myself relax instantly and I unwrap the spile from my belt. Bobbi yanks a large leaf off a tree and hands it to him.

For a second, I'm suspicious about their actions. What are they doing? Are they trying to divide and kill us? It wont matter and it doesn't make sense. I'll have the advantage on Tony if he's dealing with the tree and Steve's much bigger then Bobbi, and Pepper combined. It's Clint that poses a threat to him if he strikes. After sharing a look with Steve I follow Tony about fifteen yards into the jungle, where he finds a good tree and starts stabbing to make a hole with a knife. As I stand there, I find myself leaning my head against the tree and closing my eyes. Listening intently to the sounds being made in the wildlife. Any sound of animal life and the familiar smell of wilderness and nature. I don't even notice when Tony finishes stabbing the tree, his voice the only indication he's been waiting for me.

"Have you got the spile?" Tony asks, snapping me back to reality. I hand the spile to him and that's when I hear the scream. So full of fear and pain it ices my blood. And so familiar. I drop the spile, forget where I am or what lies ahead, only know I must reach him, protect him. I run wildly in the direction of the voice, heedless of danger, ripping through vines and branches, through anything that keeps me from reaching him.

From reaching my little brother.

_Where is he? What are they doing to him? "_Aiden!" I cry out. "Aiden!" Only another agonized scream answers me. _How did he get here? How is he apart of the games!? _"Aiden!"

Vines cut into my face and arms, creepers grab my feet. But I am getting loser to him. Closer. Very close now. Sweat pours down my face, stinging the healing acid wounds. I pant, trying to get some use out of the warm moist air that seems empty of oxygen. Aiden makes a sound- such a lost, irretrievable sound- that I cant even imagine what they have done to evoke it. "Aiden!" I rip through a wall of green into a small clearing and the sound repeats directly above me. Above me? My head whips back. Do they have him up in the trees? I desperately search the branches, but see nothing. "Aiden?" I say pleadingly. I can hear him, but cant see him. His next wail rings out, clear as a bell, and there's no mistaking the source. It's coming from the mouth of a small, crested black bird perched on a branch about ten feet over my head. And then I understand.

It's a Jabberjay.

I've never seen one before- I thought they no longer existed- and for a moment, as I lean against the trunk of the tree, clutching my side, I examine it. The mutation, the forerunner, the father. I pull up a mental image of a mockingbird, fuse it with a jabberjay, and yes, I can see how they mated to make mockingjays. There is nothing about the bird that suggests it's a mutt. Nothing except the horribly lifelike sounds of Aiden's voice screaming from it's mouth. I silence it with a bullet through it's throat. The bird falls to the ground. I scoop up the bird and wring it's neck out of frustration and anger for good measure. Then I hurl the revolting thing into the jungle. No degree of hunger would ever tempt me to eat it. _It wasn't real,_ I assure myself. _It's just a sadistic trick of the Gamemakers._

Clint and Tony crash through the trees a few seconds later, breathless from having to run after me. Clint? When did Clint get here? "Natasha?" Clint asks gathering my attention from the other end of the jungle where I flung that horrid bird somewhere into the jungle.

Looking over at the boys I sigh and push myself off the tree which I leaned against to help ground myself and my sanity. "I'm okay. It's okay." I say although I don't feel okay at all. "I thought I heard my brother, but-" The piercing shriek cuts me off. It's another voice, not Aiden's , maybe a young women. It sounds a little familiar to me, but not all that much. I've heard it before, in this arena, yet I cant put my finger on it. But the effect it has on Tony is instantaneous. The color vanishes from his face and I can actually see his pupils dilate in fear. I reach my hand out to grab his and keep him where he is, "Tony, wait!" I barely have time to wrap my hand around his wrist before he bolts away. Gone off in pursuit of the victim, as mindlessly as I pursued Aiden. "Tony!" I call, but I know he wont turn back and wait for me to give a rational explanation. So all I can do is follow him with Clint on my heels.

It's no effort to track him, even though he's moving so fast, since he leaves a clear, trampled path in his wake. But the bird is at least a quarter mile away, most of it uphill and by the time I reach him, I'm winded. He's circling around a giant tree. The trunk must be four feet in diameter and the limbs don't even begin until twenty feet up. The women's shrieks emanate from somewhere in the foliage, but the jabberjay's concealed. Tony's screaming as well, over and over. And that's when I piece it together. "Pepper! PEPPER!" He's in a state of panic and completely unreachable. This is Pepper's scream. I actually whip my head to the side of the jungle where I thought Steve, Pepper, Bobbi and Peggy were concealed and hidden from anything that could harm them. Steve.

I try to remind myself that Steve is alright and so is Pepper. That this is just a Jabberjay and the others are safely hidden for a couple of hours. So I do what I would do anyway. I scale an adjacent tree, locate the jabberjay, and take it out just as I did the first. It falls straight down, landing right at Tony's feet. He picks it up, slowly making the connection, but when I slide down to join him, he looks more despairing than ever.

"It's all right, Tony. It's just a jabberjay. They're playing a trick on us." I explain. "It's not real. It's not Pepper."

"No it's not Pepper," Tony snaps kicking away the bird. "But the voice was hers. Jabberjays mimic what they hear. Where did they get those screams Natasha?" Then realization hits him. "Pepper!" He screams just as another scream comes on and Clint's face drains of color. It's Bobbi's voice. But he doesn't act like Tony or I did. In fact, he reaches out and grasps our wrist tightly and drags us away from the sound. He pulls us downhill and towards the beach.

"We're getting out of here!" Clint screams over the scream, although I can tell it's paining him not to chase after it. The scream is so full of pain and I can tell Clint is suffering from hearing it.

This must another weapon of the clock. Five o'clock, I guess. When the hands tick-tock onto the five, the monkeys go home and the Jabberjays come out to play. Clint is right- getting out of here is the only thing to do. Although there will be nothing Haymitch can send that will help either Clint, Tony or me recover from the wounds the birds have inflicted.

I catch sight of Steve, Pepper, and Bobbi standing at the tree line and I'm filled with a mixture of relief and anger. Why didn't Steve come to help me? Why did no one come after us? Even now he hangs back, his hands raised, palms towards us, but no words reaching us. Why? The wall is so transparent, Tony, Clint and I run smack into it and bounce back on to the jungle floor. I'm lucky. My shoulder the worst of the impact, whereas Clint hit face-first and Tony was right behind him when Clint's head jerked back hitting Tony square in the face. This is why Steve, Pepper and Bobbi and even Peggy, who I see sadly shaking her head behind them, have no come to our aid. An invisible barrier blocks the area in front of us. It's not a force field. You can touch the hard, smooth surface all you like. But Steve's knife and Bobbi's arrow cant make a dent in it. I know, without checking more than a few feet to one side, that it encloses the entire four-to-five o'clock wedge. That we will be trapped like rats until the hour passes.

Steve presses his hand against the surface and I put my own up to meet it, as if I can feel him through the wall. I see his lips moving, but I cant hear him, cant hear anything outside our wedge. I try to make out what he's saying, but I cant focus so I just stare at his face, doing my best to hang on to my sanity. Then the birds begin to arrive. One by one. Perching in the surrounding branches. And a carefully orchestrated chorus of horror begins to spill out of their mouths. I give up at once, hunching on the ground, and pressing my head in between my knees. Clint and Tony try to fight for a while. Emptying his quiver of arrows, Clint buries them deep into the hated birds. But every time one drops dead another quickly takes its place. And finally they curl up beside me trying to block out the excruciating sounds of Aiden, Bradyen, my mother, Bradyen's brothers and sisters, Peggy, and Steve.

.

.

.

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

I wrap my arms around Natasha's curled up body and lift her from the ground and out of the jungle. Her eyes stay squeezed shut, hands over her ears, muscles too rigid to release. I sit down on a boulder and place her in my lap, my arms wrapping around her waist and bring her head on my shoulder. "Ssh, it's okay. It's okay. They're gone. Your fine, everything's fine. Natasha, they are gone. Your fine, I'm fine and everyone's okay." I whisper softly into her shoulder, pressing gentle kisses on it and her forehead. I rock her back and forth hoping the soft motion would provoke something out of her, get her to come out of her protective position. It takes a long time before she begins to relax the iron grip on her body and when she does, the trembling begins. "It's alright Nat." I whisper.

"You didn't hear them." She answers.

"I heard Aiden in the beginning. Then Pepper. But it wasn't them. It was a jabberyjay." I assure her. Natasha shakes her head, her hands coming to grab my own.

"It was him, somewhere. The jabberjays recorded it." She says.

"No, that's what they want you to think. That wasn't Aiden's voice. OR if it was, they took it from an interview or something and distorted the sound. Made it say whatever he was saying." He explains.

"No, they were torturing him. He's probably… dead." She lets out a choking sob on the last word. I put a finger under Natasha's chin and force her to look up at me. I make sure she makes eye contact before speaking,

"Natasha, Aiden isn't dead. How could they kill Aiden? We're almost down the final ten of us. And what happens then?" I asks.

"Nine more of us die." She answers hopelessly.

"No, back home. What happens when they reach the final ten tributes in the Games?" I lift her chin again when she loses eye contact. "What happens? At the final ten?"

"At the final ten…" she repeats. "They interview your family and friends back home."

"That's right." I says. "They interview your family and friends. And can they do that if they've killed them all?" Natasha shakes her head. I nod my head and kiss her cheek pulling her into a hug. "That's how we know Aiden's alive. He'll be the first one they interview, wont he?" I can tell she wants to believe me, but it's difficult for her after what she just heard. "First Aiden. Then your mother. Your best friend, Brayden." I continue. "It was a trick, 'Tasha. A horrible one. But we're the only one who can be hurt by it. We're the ones in the Games. Not them."

"You really believe that?" she asks softly.

"I really do," I reply honestly. She wavers slight before looking at Clint for confirmation. Turning my head, I find him staring past us, but his face looking thoughtful as he stands next to Bobbi holding her hand. Natasha raises an eyebrow at him and Tony asking a silent question. Tony nods quickly as he holds Pepper in his arms, his face pressed into her shoulder.

"Could they do that Tony? Take someone's regular voice and make it…"

"Definitely yes. It's not even that difficult." Tony explains while he lets go of Pepper, but makes sure he has some sort of physical contact with her. "Our children learn a similar technique in school." Tony explains. Even in district 2 as well.

"Of course, Steve is right." Bobbi cuts in resting her head on Clint's shoulder, the first form of physical contact she's had with him upon entering the arena. Or at least the first I've ever seen of their togetherness. "The whole country adores Natasha's little brother. They cant kill him without having an uprising on their hands." To the side Bobbi mutters quietly to herself that I barely catch "Whole country in rebellion, wouldn't want that?" My mouth drops open in shock at her nearly silent words. No one, ever, says anything like this in the Games. Granted it was quiet and no one in Capitol heard it, but I did. And I can never think about her again the same way. She'll never win any awards for kindness, but she certainly is gutsy. Or crazy.

Peggy gets up from her spot on the ground and picks up some shells heading towards the jungle. "I'm getting water." She says.

I cant help catching her hand as she passes me. "Don't go in there. The birds-" I remember the birds must be gone, but I still don't want anyone in there. Especially Peggy.

Peggy gives me a thankful look, but shrugs off my concern. "Thank you for your concern, but it's okay. They cant hurt me. There's no one left that I love." Peggy frees her hand and glances towards Steve and I with a sad, yet assumed smile on her face. I'm left sitting there, my body still and rigid from what I just endured and from what Peggy told me only seconds ago. What does that mean? What does she mean? Of course she has people that she loves and that love her. What about her family? Parents, brothers and sisters? I stare longingly after the 12 year old girl as she retreats into the jungle. I can tell my face expresses pity and I try to compose myself and bury my face into Steve's shirt to hide away from the cameras. That's all I want to do right now. Hide and run away with Steve. If only I could, but that would break the alliance and everyone would be on us.

Well, we'd have to do it soon. We all cant keep this alliance up forever. There's only 13 people left in the games. Six of them out there somewhere poised to attack and the rest surrounding Steve and I. We'd have to leave soon because I don't want to be in a position to have to kill any one of them if it comes to protecting Steve and I. I'd do anything to protect and just as he do anything to protect me.


	18. Chapter 18

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 18**

A canon blast brings us all together on the beach. A hovercraft appears in what we estimate to be the six to seven o'clock zone. We watch as the claw dips down five different times to retrieve the pieces of one body, torn apart. Its impossible to tell who it was. Whatever happens at six o'clock, I never want to know. Steve draws a new map on a leaf, adding JJ for Jabber-jays in the four to five o'clock section and simply writing beast in the one where we saw the tribute collected in pieces. We now have a good idea of what seven of the hours will bring. And if there's any positive to the jabberjays attack, its that it let us know where we are on the clock face again.

Pepper weaves yet another water basket and a net for fishing. Bobbi and Tony go for a quick swim while Steve, Peggy and I sit on the edge of the water cleaning the fish Clint catches and watching the sun drop below the horizon. The bright moon is already on the rise, filling the arena with the strange twilight. We're about to settle down to our meal of raw fish when the anthem begins. And then the faces.

Betty. Boy from district 3. Sif. The girl from 8. Both from 10. And James, Peggy's district partner. Six dead. Plus six from the first night. 13 gone in 2 days and only 11 more to go. That must be some sort of record. "They're really burning through us," Bobbi says.

"Who's left? Besides us 7, the girl from 5 and Thor." Steve asks.

"Loki and Bruce." Peggy says without needing to think about it. She's keeping an eye on Bruce who still hadn't shown up from mysteriously disappearing and Loki, surprisingly.

A parachute comes down with a pile of bite- sized square- shaped rolls. "How many are there?" Peggy asks crawling up beside Steve who had been previously counting them.

"Twenty four." He asks.

"How should we divide it?" Clint asks.

"Let's each take three, and whoever is still alive at breakfast can take a vote on the rest." Bobbi says. I don't know why this makes me laugh a little. I guess because it's true. When I do, Bobbi gives me a look that's almost approving, slightly pleased.

We wait until the giant wave has flooded out of the ten to eleven o'clock section, wait for the water to recede and then go to that beach to make camp. Theoretically, we should have a full twelve hours of safety from the jungle. There's an unpleasant chorus of clicking, probably from some evil type of insect, coming from the eleven to twelve o'clock wedge. But whatever is making the sound stays within the confines of the jungle and we keep off that part of the beach in case they're just waiting for a carelessly placed footfall to swarm out.

I don't know how Peggy's still on her feet. She's only had about four hours of sleep since the Games started. Steve and I volunteer for the first watch because we're better rested and because we want some time alone. The others go out immediately, although Peggy is restless. Every now and then I hear him murmuring Bruce's and Betty's name. Poor girl, she's worrying about the guy and mourning over the friend she has lost today.

Steve and I sit on the damp sand, facing away from each other, my right shoulder and hip pressed against his. I watch the water as he watches the jungle, which is better for me. I'm still haunted by the voices of the jabberjays, which unfortunately the insects can't drown out. After a while I rest my head against his shoulder. Feel his hand caress my hair. This is what I've needed since entering the arena. Just Steve and I, alone. Well... as alone as we can be with cameras watching our every move and our allies asleep right next to us. I needed this… I needed him.

"Natasha, it's no use pretending we don't know what the other one is trying to do." No, I guess there isn't, but it's no fun discussing it, either. Well, not for us, anyway. The Capitol viewers will be glued to their sets so they don't miss one wretched word. "I don't know what kind of deal you think you've made with Haymitch, but you should know he made me promises as well." Of course, I know this, too. He told Steve they could keep me alive so that he wouldn't be suspicious. "So I think we can assume he was lying to one of us."

This gets my attention. A double deal. A double promise. With only Haymitch knowing which one is real. I raise my head, meet Steve's eyes. "Why are you saying this now?"

"Because I don't want you forgetting how different our circumstances are. If you die, and I live, there's no life for me at all back in twelve. Your my whole life now and you know that. I would never be happy again." I start to object, but he puts a finger to my lips. "It's different for you. I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard, but there are people who'd make your life worth living."

I then notice a gleam of gold on Steve's chest. Before I can reach out to grab it, Steve pulls the chain with the gold disk from his around his neck. "Is this your token?" I ask. He nods and holds it in the moonlight. Then his thumb slides along a catch I didn't notice before and the disk pops open. It's not solid, as I had thought, but a locket. And within the lockets are photos. On the right, my mother and Aiden, laughing and on the left, Brayden, actually smiling. But the thing that gets me the most is the picture in the middle. It makes some sort of sound escape me, something between a sob and a gasp. A picture of Steve and I.

There's nothing in the world that could break me faster at this moment then the three faces on the side. After what I heard this afternoon… it's the perfect weapon. But the picture in the middle is my ultimate weak point.

"Your family needs you Natasha." He says passing over the locket. My family. My mother. My brother. My pretend cousin Brayden. But Steve's intention is clear. That Brayden really is my family or will be one day, if I live. That I'll marry him. So Steve's giving me his life and Brayden at the same time. To let me know I shouldn't ever have doubts about it. Everything. That's what Steve wants me to take from him.

But I don't want Brayden. I don't want anything except for Steve. He's the only one all I ever want and need. I cant imagine myself having a life with Brayden. I can with Steve, though. I don't want to marry Brayden and have children with him. I don't want to have children at all and Steve and Brayden know that. I'd rather spend the rest of my life with Steve then Brayden. What I need to survive is not Brayden's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again and only Steve can give me that.

I wait for him to mention the baby, to play to the cameras, but he doesn't. That's how I know that none of this is part of the Games. That he is telling me the truth about what he feels. "No one really needs me." He says and there's no self- pity in his voice. It's true, his family doesn't need him. They will mourn him as will a handful of friends, but they will get on. Even Haymitch, with the help of a lot of white liquor, will get on. I realize only one person will be damage beyond repair if Steve dies.

Me.

"I do." Turning around to face him, I reach out and grab one of his hands in both of mine. "I need you." He looks upset, and he takes a deep breath as if to begin a long argument, and that's no good, no good at all because he'll start going on about Aiden and my mother and everything and I'll just get confused. So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss. Our first real display of affection, not counting the ones after he came back from the dead. I feel that thing again. The thing I only felt once before. After our discussion outside the vicinity of the train when we shared our first kiss. I kissed Steve about a thousand times since that moment, but there was only one that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more.

This time, we have no time limit and there is nothing, but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Steve gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tip of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind. My hands start roaming over Steve's body trying to find the damn zipper to his jumpsuit. Steve seems to figure out what I'm doing by the time my hand makes contact with the zipper.

"Natasha… the camera." Steve says between kisses.

Smirking, I get up from my spot and sit on his lap without breaking the kiss. "Who cares?" I whisper into his ear, undoing the zipper. "Let them watch. They spend all their days watching children kill themselves, might as well let them watch this."

"The others." Steve says, nodding his head towards our sleeping campanions.

"I don't care, I just want you. Please, I need you Steve." I slip the jumpsuit off his shoulders and at first Steve doesn't do anything he just lets me undress him and I'm afraid he's going to reject me, when lifts me up as he stands from his spot.

He smirks at me before walking away from our spot, "At least lets keep some dignity. Plus if the others were to wake up, lets say Peggy, I'd want to save them the permanent damage it would do." I cant help, but laugh as Steve carries us away from the camp site.

.

.

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

"I love you,"

"I love you more," I place a gentle, lingering kiss on her lips pulling her body closer to mine. She rolls over onto her stomach to give the kiss more power and presses her body on top of mine. Her hand snakes down my body to grab my hand before raising it and presses it against her chest.

"Impossible." She says biting my bottom lip. My hand cups her breasts and I spend a couple of minutes just holding them, rubbing them, sucking them and kneeing them and just giving them my full attention.

"Your so beautiful Natasha. Your body is…" I roll us over to where I'm on top of her and I'm in between her legs. "amazing." Instantly she wraps her legs around my waist and I'm about to go in again when suddenly we're stopped by a loud scream. It's a child scream, a young girl's scream. There's no one in this arena capable of making that sound except…

Peggy.

My heart drops in the pit of my stomach and I'm quickly crawling off of Natasha trying to reach our clothes as fast as I can. We race to get dressed and then we're running. What are they doing to her? Have the others rebelled when they didn't see Natasha and I? Did they turn on her and are torturing her just to get us surrounded. This is a trap. Knowing that Clint, Tony, Bobbi and Pepper are poised to attack, but I cant help myself and neither can Natasha. Nothing will stop us from getting to Peggy, nothing.

There's another high pitched cry, this time our names. "Steve! Natasha! Help me, please, help me! STEVE!" From the sound of her sobbing screams I can feel myself pushing myself harder trying to reach the little girl calling for my help. For Natasha's help. She stays hot on my trial as we make our way to wherever the sound is coming from.

What are they doing to her? What they doing to provoke that god awful screams from her? She's only 12 years old! Four against a 12 year old is completely unfair! I'm angry as fuck and from the look on Natasha's face I can tell she's pissed as well. "Peggy!" we scream in unison so she knows that we're near. So they know that we're near and hopefully the boy and girl who have earned an 11 and 12 in training will be enough to get their attention away from her. "Peggy, we're coming!" The sound isn't coming from the direction of the campsite; it leads a couple yards away from it actually. As if they dragged her or moved her while she was sleeping and now woke her up to torture her then kill her once Natasha and I get in there. When we break into the clearing where the voice is coming from, our eyes immediately land on the 12 year old on the ground, hopelessly entangled in a net. She just has time to reach her hand through the mesh and say my name before the spear enters her body.

Loki disappears before he can get a knife through his throat and bullets into his head. Disappeared? How the fucking hell did he disappear?! Natasha rushes over to Peggy while I take the time to survey the area around us. Where are the others? Clint, Tony, Bobbi and Pepper. Surely they were a part of this. "Are there more? Are there more?" Peggy has say no several times before I can hear it and process that it was only Loki.

That's impossible how did Loki get away with Peggy without the others knowing. My eyes scan the area one more time and I'm about to return to Peggy and Natasha when my eyes land on a lifeless, still figure laying in the ground a couple inches away from Peggy's own curled up body…

_Pepper._


	19. Chapter 19

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 19**

"Pepper." I whisper breathlessly.

Natasha looks over to where my gaze is at the sound of my voice. Her eyes widen in shock before turning to Peggy at the sound of her moan. So do mine. Peggy has rolled to her side, her body curved in and around the spear. Rushing to her side, I pull out my knife, freeing her from the net. One look at the wound and Natasha's face confirms my worst thought. The wound is far beyond her capacity to heal. Beyond anyone's probably. The spearhead is buried up to the shaft in her stomach. I crouch before, staring helplessly at the embedded weapon. Natasha's eyes well up with tears the minute her eyes land on the swear and I cant help the tear that falls onto Peggy's cheek as I bring her tiny body into my lap. "Peggy," I whisper helplessly more tears running down my face without permission. She stares up at me and I resister something in her eyes that I don't quite understand, relief. She's lets out a big sigh and a pained moan when that one little thing from her body caused the wound to hurt more.

"Steve, Natasha." She says as if she's been searching for us for a long time. "I'm was so worried about you guys."

"Worried about us?" Natasha voices my thoughts. "Why? Were you searching for us? Is that what you were doing in the jungle by yourself?" Natasha asks sniffling and wiping the tears running down her face.

"Yeah," she whispers, her voice suddenly getting weak. "And I wasn't alone. Pepper came with me. I woke up and found you guys g-gone. I-I got worried so I -grabbed m-my backpack and was going to go find you guys and just as I was about to leave P-Pepper woke up. She told me i-it was dangerous to go alone so she came with me. We've b-been searching for hours and P-Pepper was convinced you went to get w-water or s-someone found you, b-but I knew that wasn't true. If s-someone found you guys, a canon would've gone off. T-Their canon and if you went for w-water the spile would've been gone." Peggy explains, tears welling up in her eyes. Taking a huge, pained breath she reaches out and grabs my hand in her own. "We were just t-turning to go b-back to camp when… he f-found us. Pepper was t-trying to protect me, b-but-" Peggy starts to get emotional and buries her head in my stomach, her sobs loud and pained. "He was too fast for her. I tried to save her, but Loki got me. A-And… it's all my fault she's gone. I-I deserve this." She says motioning to the spear in her chest. How can she say that? No she doesn't!

"What are you talking about Peggy?" I ask bring her head out of my stomach. I make her look up at me and face me and Natasha who moved to sit down next to us. "No you don't. You don't deserve this, no one does. But your gonna be get better. You will, your gonna be okay. Soon." It's no use for comforting words. She's knows that I'm lying, but I cant help myself from telling her the truth. She needs comfort and Natasha and I are the only ones there. Peggy shakes her head slowly, the mere movement causing more blood to escape out of her wound. She hisses in pain and reaches her hand out to Natasha and I. We each take a hand and clutch it like a lifeline. As if it we were dying instead of Peggy.

Giving us a once over, Peggy looks into Natasha's eyes before whispering, "You have to win." Natasha's eyes creases in confusion for a second before she nods and gets closer to the dying girl.

"I'm going to. Going to win for both of us now. I promise Peggy." Natasha whispers to her and more tears run down her face as her shoulders shake with silent sobs. Peggy removes her hand from our grip and reaches up to wipe the tears running down Natasha's face.

"Don't cry." She whispers, barely audible that if we weren't as close to her as we are we wouldn't have heard it. "Please, don't. I'm going to be okay, and everything will be alright. I wont be in pain anymore and soon you wont be." I remove my eyes from the sight of Peggy and Natasha and look up at the night sky, the tears making my vision go blur. I cant do this, I cant say goodbye. Not to her, not to Peggy. She's so young, too gentle and we cant save her. I keep my eyes casted upward until I feel a gentle tug on my hand making me look down. Peggy looking up at me with a weak, sad smile and love in her eyes. Something that I've only seen in Natasha. She motions for me to lean down and I do, until my ear is by her mouth. "I love you Steve. Your like the big brother I never had and Natasha is like the big sister I've never had. Please… take care of her, protect her as much as you can." A hand comes up to muffle the sob and scream that wants to escape me at her words. '_Of course I'll take care of Natasha and protect her, but I'm scared that if I couldn't do it for Peggy, I wont be able to do it for Natasha. So far others have protected her.'_ "Steve." Peggy says getting my attention back to her. "Please… promise something."

"Anything." I desperately tell her holding her hand in a vice tight grip. She lowers her whisper, low enough for only me to hear.

.

**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

.

Steve nods, but offer no other comment at whatever she's telling him. I would try and ask, but right now I don't have the energy or the will do to so. If Peggy wanted me to know she'd tell us both. Staring at her tiny, injured body I feel my hand tighten around the handle of my gun and knife wanting to hurt somebody. Loki. He killed her. He killed her! When I find him, I will make him pay for this. She doesn't deserve to die. She's too young, too gentle and fragile. My eyes flicker to the lifeless body of Pepper and I cant help, but think of Tony. The way they held each other after the jabberjay incident. Now only Clint and I have our district partners and lovers with us. Bruce and Tony's are gone, lifeless… dead. And soon Peggy will be the same.

Steve pulls back away from Peggy and her voice is now directed to both of us. Wiping the tears running down my face, I look down at the small girl who gives us both a brave smile and a reassuring squeeze of the hand. "Find Bruce, please find him. If you do he may not be in his human form. If he's not, you have to calm him down."

"Human form what are you talking about?" I insists, confusion written all over my face. Betty and Peggy never had the time to explain to us what they meant when they said Bruce had another form. And now that Peggy's dying she will never another time to tell us.

Peggy squeezes our hand another time, this squeeze weaker then the first. "No one believes he exists, the ones that do call him The Hulk. He's real and I've seen him." I see Steve's eyes widen in realization.

"The Hulk?" he asks.

"Bruce is the Hulk. That's his other form. He's been the Hulk ever since a scientist experiment gone wrong back in District 3. It's a long story Betty and Bruce told me, but after some experiment gone wrong, Bruce can now turn into a large green rage monster. The only way he can transform if he's provoke. Either by anger, or sadness. The green tall thing you saw at the Cornucopia was Bruce. He's not a monster, he means no harm and he wont hurt you guys. You just have to gain his trust and calm him down. The Hulk already knows about you, but you need to earn his trust in order to calm him down. Tell him Peggy and Betty want him to trust you and once Bruce is back explain what happened to me. Tell him I love him and care about him, and that I didn't suffer long. Betty and I will always love him."

"We will." I manage before having to bite my bottom lip painfully hard to keep more tears from falling. I hear a canon and Steve and I look up. It must be for Pepper. There's nothing we can do to save her…

"Don't go." Peggy tightens her grip on both of our hands. We look down at her and shake our heads in unison,

"Course not." Steve tells her.

"We're staying right here." I tell her.

Peggy looks up at me and tears begin to leak out of her eyes. "Can you sing?" She asks so softly I almost don't hear it. I move in closer to Steve and Peggy while Steve gently brushes her dark, soft brunette hair back behind her ear.

Sing? Sing what? I do know a few songs. Believe it or not, there was once music in my house. Music I helped make. My father pulled me in with tha remarable voice, but I haven't sung in years. Since he died. My throat is tight with tears, hoarse from fatigue. But if this is Peggy's last request, I have to at least try. The song that comes to me is a simple lullaby, one we sing fretful, hungry babies to sleep with. I give a small cough. "Yeah… Yeah I'll do it."

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow._

_Lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when again they open, the sun will rise._

Peggy's eyes have fluttered shut and I can hear Steve's breath hitch in his throat as he leans down and presses a soft kiss to her forehead. Her chest moves, but only slightly. My throat releases the tears and they slide my cheek and onto her face.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm._

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm._

The final lines are barely audible.

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true._

_Here is the place where I love you._

We stay silent and Steve and I sit there watching the rise and fall of her chest. Everything's still and quiet. For a moment, I sit there, watching our tears drop down on her face. I cant stop looking at Peggy, smaller than ever, a baby animal curled up in a nest of netting.

Then her canon fires.

Steve's hand caresses her face once more as I place a kiss against her temple. Slowly, as if not to wake her, Steve lays her head back on the ground and we both release her hand at the same time.

At the sound of the canon we hear the bushes rustling and Steve and I turn around in time to see Tony, Clint and Bobbi run into the clearing. They're eyes sweep the ground until they come to land on Steve and I. For some strange reason I see each of their shoulders drop in relief at the sight of two of us, but when I see Tony freeze in his spot, I know he's seen her. He'd seen Pepper. Bobbi and Clint look over to what had caught Tony's eyes and they both cast their eyes downward as if they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't have. I expected Tony to go to her and try to coax life back into her. That's what I would do if it was Steve, but it shocks me what he actually does. His gaze locks on her dead body before he straightens his stance, turns and walks away, back to the campsite. And away from Pepper.

Clint and Bobbi make their way over to Steve and I, curious expressions on their face. "We saw you guys gone and- oh, god." Bobbi starts, but her gaze looks on Peggy in Steve's lap. "Peggy." Clint and Bobbi whisper in unison. They turn to Steve and I to ask questions, but after a quick look at both of our faces they can tell we're not in the mood to talk about it. About Peggy's and Pepper's death. Steve sends them a pointed look and with a swift nod, Clint and Bobbi turn and leave the clearing without another word.

They'll want us to clear out now. So they can collect the bodies. And there's nothing to stay for. Being careful, Steve rolls Peggy onto her stomach and takes the backpack from her back before rolling her back onto her back. Looking down at Peggy I cant bring myself to leave her like this. Past harm, but seeming utterly defenseless. To hate Loki who caused this. It's the Capitol I hate, for doing this to all of us. Brayden's voice is in my head. His ravings against the Capitol no longer pointless, no longer to be ignored. Peggy's death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflicted upon us, I feel my impotence. There's no way to take revenge on the Capitol. Is there? Looking over at Steve I can tell something has come to mind when he suddenly looks up from Peggy's body and his eyes make contact with the bank of wildflowers that grows a few steps from us.

"I want to do something," Steve's voice is almost inaudible, thick with tears and sorrow, but I can hear him perfectly. "Right here, right now." He says standing from his spot. "To shame them, to make them accountable, to show them Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do there is a part of every tribute they cant own. That Peggy and Pepper was more than a piece in their Games and so are we." Nodding, I stand to join him. We each gather up an armful and I go to Pepper's side while Steve comes back to Peggy's side. Slowly, one stem at a time, we decorate their bodies in flowers. Covering the ugly wounds, wreathing their face, weaving their hair with bright colors. They'll have to show it. Or even if they choose to turn the cameras elsewhere at this moment, they'll have to bring them back when they collect the bodies and everyone will them then and know we did it. We step back and take a last look at them. Pepper and Peggy could really be asleep in that meadow after all. "Bye Peggy. Bye Pepper" Steve speaks for both of us. I press the three middle fingers of my left hand against my lips and hold them out in their direction. Steve joins me. Then we walk away without looking back.

The birds fall silent.

Somewhere, a mockingjay gives the warning whistle that precedes the hovercraft. I don't know how it knows. It must hear things that human cant. I pause, Steve right behind me, my eyes focused on what's ahead, not what's happening behind me. It doesn't take long then the general bird song begins again and I know…

Pepper and Peggy are gone.

.

.

.

"We've still got a couple of hours." Tony says, "I can't sleep anymore. You guys, um.. get some sleep, I'll keep watch."

Steve won't let him, though. "It's too dangerous," he objects. "I'm not tired. You lie down, Natasha." I don't object, I let him lead me over to where Clint and Bobbi lay wrapped around each other. He puts the chain with the locket around my neck then rests his hand over the spot where our baby would be. "Your going to make a great mother, you know." He kisses me one last time and goes back to Tony. His reference to the baby signals that our time out from the Games is over. I watch him leave and cant help, but whimper at his absence. I don't want to be alone, I need Steve around me. The brief sense of home I had when Peggy joined us had vanished. I cant seem to go to sleep and I stay up look enough to watch as moon starts to set and the first sign of sunrise starts. I'm not even afraid, not even watchful. Which makes me an easy target. Except Id kill anyone I met on sight, especially Loki. Without emotion or the slightest tremor in my hands. My hatred of the Capitol has not lessened my hatred of my competitors in the least. They, at least, can be made to pay for Peggy's and Pepper's death.

Closing my eyes tightly I try my hardest to keep any thought of those two from coming to my mind. It's just too painful and no sponsors going to bet on a girl who keeps sniveling over the deaths of her opponents. Peggy and Pepper are one thing, we were close allies, but Sif and Betty were another thing. No one will understand my sorrow for those two who I never even spoken to voluntarily. Cupping my elbows, I turn on my side, hugging them close to my body as I curl into a tight ball. I have to bury the real pain as best as I can.

So to distract myself I think back to Steve's words, when he was convincing me to fight and stay alive. _"Your family needs you Natasha… Your going to make a great mother."_ My mind instantly goes back to Brayden. Was his reference to the baby something more? Like a reminder to me that I could still one day have kids with Brayden? Well, if that was it, it was a mistake. Because for one thing, that's never been part of my plan. Second, if only one of us can be a parent, anyone can see it should be Steve. And lastly, I love him. Not Brayden. I love Steve and only Steve, no one will ever have my heart except for him, so if he's planning on trying to get me to marry someone else when he's gone he can think again because he's the one that's going to survive these Games, not me.

As I drift off, I try to imagine that world, somewhere in the future, with no Games, no Capitol. A place like the meadow where Peggy and Pepper died. Where Steve's child could be safe.

.

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

.

I look back to see Natasha finally fall asleep at the first sign of sunrise. Finally, she's been just laying there, doing nothing and I was getting worried that she'd never fall asleep. I want to go over there and lay down next to her, to offer her comfort, more than ever, but I cant leave Tony alone. Although I can tell that's all he wants right now is be alone, so he can mourn his girl.

"How long were you two together?" He looks over at me with an expression I don't recognize at all. He doesn't say anything, just glances over at me before returning to looking back at the water. At first I have a feeling he's going to ignore me and pretend I never said anything until he sighs and runs a hand over his face,

"I've known her all her life. I was there when she was born and we've been best friends ever since we could talk. We've been inseparable since birth and I finally had the guts to ask her out 4 years ago. And now she's…" his voice trails off, his eyes going hard and dark from the memory of seeing her body. He runs a hand over his face and cups his jaw, his fingers curling into his skin. I don't know if I should comfort him or not. Will he even pay attention to me? Tony's the kind of guy to follow his own rules and never ask for help. Will he even want my comfort? Maybe telling him what Natasha and I did to Pepper and Peggy will let him know that he's not alone and that we can help him.

"She's not going to be forgotten Tony, especially not by you, us or the Capitol." At Tony's questioning gaze, he raises an eye brow silently urging me to continue. "Natasha and I… right before we left, we covered them in flowers. Peggy and Pepper. And even if the Capitol turned the cameras away when we were doing it, they had to pull it back when they collected their bodies. We did it to hold them personally accountable for killing Pepper and Peggy who were nothing, except innocent. To show them that they were more than just a piece in their Games, just like we are." I see the smallest of smile spread across Tony's face, but he turns his head before I can actually see. He looks up over the water and after a couple minutes gives me a nod.

"Thank you."

Raising my hand I hesitate before placing my hand on his shoulder. He tenses for the slightest second thinking I'm possible going to hurt him, but then relaxes when I don't do anything. "She seemed like a wonderful girl."

"She was. She was even more wonderful because she had to put up with me all her life. But no matter what, no matter how arrogant, selfish and inconsiderate I was, she was always with me. She loved me and I loved her." Tony's eyes glance back at Natasha before looking back at me. "Kind of like you and little Red over there. Got to admit, at first I thought you both were playing an act by admitting your 'undying love' for each other. Everyone did." I must've looked offended because Tony is quick to reassure me. "Don't get me wrong, it's just that I didn't understand you when I met you. I thought the whole romance thing was an act on, not yours, but hers. She's usually so lethal, so emotionless that I thought she was incapable of returning the love you had for her. We all expected you'd continue that strategy. But it wasn't until you hit the force field and nearly died that I-" Tony hesitates. I think back to two days ago, when I woke up and found Natasha's worried face staring down at me. The instantly relief and love she expressed once I opened my eyes was overwhelming. How she sobbed when Clint revived me, the quizzical look on both Clint and Tony's face. The way Tony excused her behavior, blaming it on her pretend pregnancy.

"That you what?"

"That I knew I'd misjudged her. That she does love you. Anyone paying attention could see how much she cares about you." He says gently.

"Well I'd hope so. I love and care about her too. A lot."

"Yeah… um," I can see the tears barely hanging on, Tony's overwhelmed by the memory of Pepper. He stands from his spot, brushing off the dirt on his jeans, and grabs the spile near the backpack. "I'm going to go tap some water. Alone." He adds quickly when he sees me start to stand up. I sit back in my spot and watch him leave, tears escaping his eyes and running down his face. The first sort of real emotion I've seen out of him since we entered this arena. Sighing, I run a hand through my hair and am comforted by the sound of a knife hitting a tree, knowing that Tony hasn't run off and gotten himself killed. I'd probably do that if Natasha died, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew she died on my watch.

.

.

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**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

When I wake I have a brief, delicious feeling of happiness that is somehow connected with Steve. Happiness, of course, is a completely absurdity at this point, since at the rate things are going, I'll be dead in a day. Everyone's already up and watching the descent of a parachute to the beach. I join them for another delivery of bread. It's identical to the one we received the night before. Twenty four rolls from District 3. That gives us thirty three in all. We're about to divide it into five each, but the rustling of bushes stops us from each getting our fair share. We're poised to attack immediately and just as the figure emerges from the bushes, I'm clinging to the hope that it's Loki so I can slit his throat myself. But soon I'm disappointed when the large figure of Thor walks out of the bushes, his body straight and head held high. I see Bobbi notch her arrow in place and pull back the string about to let it fly, but I knock the weapon out of her head before it can reach its target. Thor! One of the two people we were supposed to find.

"Thor." I sigh in relief when he turns and gives me a large grin in response.

"Miss. Romanoff, I have finally found you. Sif and I have been on a search for you and your allies for days. It seems that she never had found you in time." Thor walks up to us, the others getting nervous and at first I'm confused. Of course, Thor is like a giant and towers over them, but why do they have looks of horror on their faces. And that's when I see it,

The Hammer.

The large, scary looking hammer in his clutch. Thor looks down at my gaze and chuckles merrily placing the hammer down with a thud. "Do not fear, I did not come here to harm you. Mr. Abernathy insisted that if I find you and offered protection in these Games, I could be a part of your pack." So Sif and Thor were both trying to find us? Sif did find us, but unfortunately wasn't with us for very long. We already have enough allies as it is and if we had more it will soon just end between the 6 of us and we'd have to fight each other. Still I promised Sif and when I promise something, I mean it.

"Sif did find us Thor." I inform him, "but… she was not with us for long. We were under attack by some mutt of the Capitol. She sacrificed her life and saved mine."

"A noble warrior act." Thor says shaking his head sadly. "She died with honor and I wish to do the same if I were to die in this arena." He gives me a grin after a moment and pats me on the shoulder, a little harsher then he intended too. "Miss. Romanoff, do you fare?"

I look up at him, confusion written all over my face until Steve chuckles and whispers in my ear softly, "How are you?"

"oh! Um… Fine. How about you?"

"Great, although I am a little parched. Do you have water?" From the looks of him, he actually does look fine. Only minor wounds such as scratches, but nothing major or severe. How has this guy survived in these jungles with nothing, but that hammer.

"Sure big guy." Tony says coming back with a woven basket of water. "Drink up." He hands the basket to Thor and Thor drains it all in one gulp. He must have been thirsty.

"Thank you my friend." Thor says handing the basket back. He turns his attention back to Steve and I, "Miss. Romanoff-"

"Natasha." I correct him.

"My apologies, Lady Natasha. As I was on my quest to find you I came across a large, green giant."

"Bruce." I cant help, but blurt out my mind going back to what Peggy said. I ignore the curious glances Tony, Clint and Bobbi give me.

"Yes, sir Bruce. He informed me that he needed to find you, you and Steven." Thor says gesturing towards Steve.

"Did he follow you? Was he hurt?" Steve asks stepping forward, slightly in front of me.

"He can answer for himself. Friend Bruce!" Thor calls out towards where he entered. We all stand there waiting for something to emerge, whether it be the green giant or the small, shy scientist. That's when the ground starts shaking beneath us. It's going to be the giant. Peggy's voice rings in my head, "_You need to earn his trust in order to calm him down. Tell him Peggy and Betty want him to trust you and once Bruce is back explain what happened to me. Tell him I love him and care about him, and that I didnt suffer long. Betty and I will always love him."_

Soon I see a giant footstep in my line of view and then emerges the rest of his body. Bobbi, Clint and Tony immediately move back, in fear of getting killed or hurt, unaware of who this monster is. Steve, Thor and I are the only ones that stay where we are. I look up at him as he stares down at us, shame obviously written all over his face. Normally something like this would terrify me, but knowing that it's someone I know, and someone that Peggy trusted, leaves me only feeling determined. Determined to get him back to his human form. I take a tentative step towards him and the Hulk seems to take a step back from me.

"No closer." It says, his eyes full of shame. "No closer 'Tasha. Could hurt you." It says. Poor thing, he's terrified of hurting me.

Steve steps up beside me and shakes his head no, "No you wont Hulk. We know you wont. It's okay, though. You don't have to be afraid; we just want to help you." The Hulk turns his back on us and I'm afraid he's going to go back into the jungle, away from us.

"Hulk, don't go! I have a message from Peggy." I tell him. At Peggy's name he freezes and turns his head to look at us, his back still turned towards us.

"Where tiny brunette?" Hulk asks looking around for the 12 year old girl who he'll never find. Looking down at my feet, I feel myself get smaller under the Hulk's gaze and my voice gets lower when I tell him.

"She's gone… She died. She was killed. Her and Pepper were."

"Strawberry redhead?" Hulk questions, his eyes start to become dark with anger. I nod knowing he's referring to Pepper.

"Peggy told me to tell you that she loved you. That she cared about you. You'll always have a place in her heart because you were like a big brother to her. We wont bring any harm to you or Bruce and Peggy wants you to trust us." I reach a hand out towards him, taking another tentative step to not scare him. "We wont hurt you. Can we please have Bruce back?" The Hulk's eyes glance over to Tony, Clint and Bobbi who still have their hands on their weapons and are staring at him as if he were a mutt. I look over my shoulder to glare at them. "Put your weapons down and back away. He's not going to hurt you and you will not hurt him."

"He's a monster." Clint says, disbelief in his eyes. At the word monster, the Hulk turns his head back and starts walking away.

"Hulk! No, wait, please! He didn't mean it." Sighing in frustration I turn to Clint and throw my hands up shouting at him, "How could you say that to him!? That's Bruce! Remember when Betty and Peggy said about him and other form he has. That's his other form."

"That's Bruce?" Tony asks, but Steve and I are already running away going after the giant, Thor closely following.

"Hulk, wait! Don't-" Steve's cut off by a canons going off and a flash of green light appearing out of nowhere. A hard laugh is heard from our left and immediately I'm pushed back behind Steve. He plants his body firmly in front of me and I peek over his shoulders- why does he have to so damn tall!?- to stare into the green eyes of Loki. Immediately I'm filled with anger and rage. If Steve weren't in my way, I'd be on Loki in a second. Granted he'd kill me just as I'd kill him, but at least I'd get a good swing at the guy.

"Loki." Steve growls, malice and vengeance easily recognizable in his tone of voice.

"Hello Steven. Did you like my little present for you last night? It was fairly easy getting rid of that little girl, but a little more difficult trying to get the other girl away from her. I had to kill her in order to reach what I really wanted." Loki smirks down at us from his position on the tree branch. Steve's practically shaking from rage.

"You killed her? You killed the young child?" Thor asks, his hammer gripped tightly in his hand.

"Of course I did you big oaf. They wouldn't have had the strength to do it. They were cowards, so I did them a favor and got rid of the girl for them."

"How is it cowardish to not want to kill a 12 year old girl?" Steve growls at him, his hand tightening around the knife in his back pocket. "You're gonna pay for killing her."

"No," Loki says, a smirk on his face. "I believe it is you that's going to pay Captain. Or at least you will once Natasha finds out the truth about you and the others." Loki looks over Steve's shoulder at me and gives me a nod. But I'm too preoccupied by what he previously had said.

What truth?


	20. Chapter 20

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 20**

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

"Steve, what is he talking about?" Shit! My eyes widen in horror and I cant help, but let my mouth drop in shock. "Steve?" Natasha asks, her voice starting to get impatient and hurt. "What truth? What is he talking about?" Turning around I find Natasha starting to back away from me as if she cant stand being near me anymore. I reach my hand out to take her hand, but she yanks her arm out of my reach. I feel my heart drop into my stomach at her rejection. Looking down at her, she looks up at me with a hint of hurt in her eyes. "Steve…"

"Ha, I knew you would keep it from her. Let's face it Steven, you're a pushover and a good little soldier who listens to his commands. Well if you won't tell her, I will." Loki turns his attention her and with a smile disappears before reappearing behind her. She jumps and nearly falls back into my arms, but she catches herself at last minute. Steering herself away from me, she starts backing away from Loki and towards Thor.

Hurt. That's all I feel.

"Miss. Romanoff, you've been played. Steve has been lying to your face since he first met you. Of course, he loves you. That part was the truth, but everything else was a lie. From the beginning, since the reaping, Steve, Thor and the others have been a part of a secret organization. They call it SHIELD, stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division. The leader of this organization is no other then Nicholas James Fury. With his second and third commanders; Agent Maria Hill and Agent Phil Coulson."

"Phil." Natasha whispers in disbelief.

"They plan to over throw the government and rebel against the Capitol. This organization has been secretly growing under the Capitol's noses the entire time and they've been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Ever since you were born, SHIELD has been following you. Watching you and your family and friends. Waiting for the moment when you'd be call for the reaping. Fortunately for them this year was the year and all they had to do was get someone who could get close to you, earn your trust and then save you in this arena. That's where Steven comes into play." Natasha's eyes glance towards me, hatred in her eyes and I cant stand to look at her anymore. I look down running a hand through my hair and placing my head in my hands. I've done it. I've failed. I've failed her and everyone else that were counting on me. "Do not blame him Natasha. Or at least, not yet. A couple days before the reaping Steven was contacted by Fury himself.

"He's loyal and committed, I'll give you that. Fury had explained that you are an important girl to this organization. Do you want to know why? Because you're the face of the rebellion."

"Face of the rebellion?" Natasha looks so confused and the hurt in her eyes hasn't gone away, but has lessened just a bit. "What does that even mean?"

"You don't know how special you are Miss. Romanoff. May I call you Natasha?" Loki doesn't even wait for her to answer before continuing. But I've had enough, and from the looks of it, Hulk has too. He's given away enough as it is. A warning growl comes from the giant beside me and I grip the knife even tighter in my hands.

"Loki stop! She's heard enough-"

"You are the face of the rebellion and as long as you are alive, the rebellion is alive. People look up to you and expect you to fight. They look up to you and the Avengers."

"Avengers?" Natasha trips over a fallen log and falls on her butt staring up at Loki, tears brimming in her eyes, but her face hardens and she grows angry. "What the hell are the Avengers?"

"There was an idea. All the tributes knew about this. It's called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of extraordinary people, to see if they could become something more. The group consisted of you, Steven, Thor, Tony, Clint and Bruce."

"Why me? Why only the 6 of us?" she questions, a lone tear making its way down her cheek. She looks over at the Hulk beside me who only seems to get angrier, the more Loki continues to talk.

"Puny God stop TALKING!" He roars, but Loki seems unfazed by the giant who clearly wants to snap him in half. He waves off the Hulks roar and turns to Natasha.

"That I never really understood that myself. Only half the tributes were in on it, including your precious Peggy and Pepper. I was never one for following the rules and of course I would never put someone's life before my own. Which is why I plan to make sure that doesn't happen and to do that," a glowing blue scepter suddenly appears in Loki's hands. "I'll have to eliminate you and your precious love."

"Loki no! Enough of this! Don't you dare think of even harming them!" Thor shouts, electricity suddenly flowing around the hammer and Thor's hand. I glance over at Natasha who has yet to get up from her spot and is only staring at the electricity pulsing through and around the hammer. The Hulk's face hardens when Thor mentions Loki harming us.

"Which one first?" Loki asks looking between Natasha and I.

"Puny God put no harm to Tasha or Captain." Hulk roars moving close to Natasha, who doesn't move from her spot. He scoops her up in his huge arms and hides her body away from the glowing stick in his hands.

Loki shrugs a mischievous smile on his face. "Alright, he dies first." He points the stick at me and I barely have time to react before I'm engulfed in the green light that surrounds his scepter.

"STEVE!" Natasha screams and the Hulk's loud roar follows after, but the dark is closing in on me. The last thing I remember is seeing Natasha's worried face looking down at me through the green light before I'm covered with darkness.

.

**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

.

As soon as I can get my gun out of the holster and pointed at Loki, an arrow almost pierces his body. Almost. Loki catches it just before it can get lodged inside his skull. I start pounding on the Hulk's arm to release me so I get to Steve, but his hold on me only seems to get stronger.

"Tasha get hurt. Hulk wont let that happen." Hulk tells me just as Bobbi, Clint and Tony rush into the clearing, their weapons ready to fight. But I ignore him; I need to get to Steve!

"STEVE! Let me go, I have to get to Steve!" No matter how hard I hit him, he doesn't let me go.

Looking over the Hulk's shoulder I find Loki being cornered by Tony, and Clint. Both have their weapons ready and poised to attack, but Loki just shakes his head chuckling.

"What you laughing at Laufeyson?" Tony growls.

"You humans are so petty and tiny." He just chuckles. Clint growls and presses the tip of his ax to Loki's throat.

"Tiny? Look who's talking."

"Boys, boys, boys. Stop playing around with him and kill him already." Bobbi says, her tone bored as she kneels beside Steve, pressing a finger into his neck. She glances over at me and nods, "He'll be alright. His pulse his weak, but he'll be fine. Same as the force field."

"Just wait Miss. Morse." Loki addresses Bobbi. "As soon as the clock strikes twelve at noon and the lightning hits that tree right there, " The sky grows dark and the ground shakes with thunder as Loki points a finger to the lightning tree, a few yards away from us. "He'll be dead."

Looking up at the sun that is slowly getting blocked by clouds, I can tell it's almost noon and it'll be minutes before lightning strikes. I glance back at Steve and notice his skin starting to get pale and his breathing is getting shallow. That's what makes me lose it. He's dying! "Steve's dying! Let me go! Please!" Tears run down my face and I start begging for the Hulk to let me go. "Please Hulk, let me go. I need to be with him!" Loki's harsh, loud chuckle fills the area and the point of Clint's ax is about to enter Loki's throat when he suddenly disappears again. How the fuck is he doing that?

"Where did he go?" Tony shouts, his repulsor raised high, looking around frantically.

"I don't know, but he isn't what we should be worried about." Bobbi says waving the other two over. Bobbi glances up at us and I desperately mouth, 'Help' so she can convince Hulk to put me down. Looking up at the giant holding me I can tell she's a little nervous about talking to him, but does it anyway. "Um.. H-Hulk?" She looks at me for confirmation. I nod reassuringly and encouraging me. "You can put her down now."

Hulk shakes his large head and frowns down at her, "Danger."

"There's no danger. He's gone and she's safe with us. We wont hurt her or you." Hulk seems to hesitate for a while and debates on putting me down.

"Please Hulk. I need to be with Steve… I love him." Sighing in defeat Hulk gently places me down and as soon as my feet touch the ground I dash to Steve's side, grabbing his hand in my own. "Steve." I call shaking his hand, placing a hand on his chest. "Steve wake up. Steve it's me Natasha. I'm right here, open your eyes for me. Please baby, I need to see your eyes. Steve." He doesn't respond and the more I shake him the more his breathe seems to be weaken. That's when the water works start. "Steve! Steve wake up! Why wont you wake up? What's wrong with you!? Steve… Steve!" I didn't notice that Bruce has changed back until I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Natasha-" He starts, but I cut him off.

"No, he's not dead. He's not dead. Steve wake up you bastard!" I slap his face hard and shake his body even more. "Wake up! Your not leaving me here, your not leaving me! I need you, please, I need you!" I cry harder and place my head on his chest, holding his hand tighter in my own. "Steve, please wake up. I don't care what Loki said. I don't care that you lied to me. I'm pissed off of course, but I don't hate you and I need you to wake up. Whatever Loki said, whether he did it to make me mad at you, it didn't work. I love you. I love so much and I need you to wake up… Please." I beg crying even harder.

"Aw, how sweet." All heads snap to look at him- where the hell did he get a fucking horn helmet and cape?- and I growl standing up really slowly.

"You fucking bastard!" I start towards him, a hand rest on the handle of my gun. "Your killing him! Your killing him!" Instantly I pull out my gun and aim it right at his head, but he disappears before a bullet can go through his head. Growling I look around the clearing expecting to find a head full of black hair. Bobbi joins me in my search to find him. I turn to look at Thor, Clint, Bruce and Tony, "Watch him." Wiping my running nose and tears, I look around for Loki, "We'll be back." Running off, Bobbi hot on my trails we follow the sound of his laughter.

"This asshole, he's such a coward. He runs off and hides instead of facing us himself. You're a dick Loki and a coward!" Bobbi yells out into the jungle. "Show yourself if you think your so tough and bad. Stop hiding."

"A coward, am I? Well then I really hate to do this Bobbi, I really liked you." Loki's voice echoes throughout the arena.

"Don't touch her!" I shout at whatever his voice is coming from. I'm too busy frantically looking around for him that at first I don't register the loud gasp from beside me. But once I do, I raise the gun, turn, aim and fire hoping to hit my target. I do, but only in the shoulder. He doesn't disappear as fast as he use to. The corners of my lips turn upward in a smirk when I see Loki fall to the ground, gripping his shoulder with one hand. Blood already oozing out of the wound.

He looks up at me with a… a smile? Why the hell is he smiling? I growl at him and that's when I see her. Bobbi. Loki's scepter in lodged in her chest and she's desperately trying to yank it out of her. But Loki's hand beats her too it and he yanks it out as harsh as he can. "NOO!"

Reaching over I try to grab his shoulders, but he blast me with whatever that scepter has. The blue light hits me right in the shoulder and I'm knocked to the ground. I lay there for a little bit, trying to get my thoughts back together and make any sense of what just happened.

Then I hear her scream. Shit Bobbi! Jumping up from my spot, my vision getting blurry from the sudden motion, I grab onto the first thing I find. Her body. She looks up at me, her eyes wide and her mouth in a grimace. "Bobbi." I whisper so quietly, so softly that I barely even notice I said anything. I bring her into my arms and try to keep her hands from touching her wound. "No don't, um… it's okay. Come on, if we get back to the camp site I could wrap it up and you'll be-"

"Don't be an idiot Romanoff. I wont survive this. You and I both know this. If Peggy and Pepper didn't, what makes you think I can."

"I don't, I just hope. You cant die on me. Clint will be-" I start, but Bobbi cuts me off, sucking in a pained breath.

"Clint will be fine." Bobbi nods, using all her energy left, towards Loki whose crawling away from the two of us. "Kill him. Then it will be over."

"What will be over? No it wont. We'll still have 6 more tributes left. Remember, fight to death until a lone victor remains." Bobbi starts shaking her head suddenly and grips my hand tightly, giving me her bow and shrugging off her arrows.

"No…" she whispers weakly. "Kill him and it will be over. Keep Steve alive. Y-You have too, just listen to me. And d-don't trust anyone except those 5 boys over there, Fury, Hill and Coulson. They know what they're doing and remember... d-don't be too pissed at Steve. He only did it to protect... you." She whisper so weakly, so softly I barely register it. Her eyes close and I find myself shaking her limp body. Then her canon goes off.

"Protect me from what!" I scream at the lifeless body, but of course, I get nothing in response. Suddenly I feel the tip of a knife drive into my shoulder blade. My hand immediately goes to my shoulder and I fall to the ground, my eyes shut tightly and mouth opened in a silent scream.

"Now it's your turn to die you mewling quim. Don't worry, I will make it as painful as I can possible can. Just hold real still now."

"Over my dead body." I spit up at him, my hand releasing the knife in my shoulder.

"That's the plan Romanoff." He pulls a dagger out from who knows where and kneels beside me, taking my arm in his own. I try to yank it out, but even the small tug of my arm causes my shoulder to scream in protest. I cant help the loud cry that escapes my mouth and I'm at eye level with Loki a second later. "Now this is how it's gonna work. You don't scream and gather the other's attention, and if you do, I promise when I'm finished here I'll go finish off your boyfriend properly. Although I should do this in front of him because surely killing his precious girl and child in front of him, will do the job itself." Loki shrugs and gives me a cruel smirk, "Oh well." His hand touches the handle of the dagger in front of me and while he's grabbing the knife I drive one of my own in his outstretched hand. Loki screams in pain, releasing the grip on my arm and I take that moment to slip out from under him grabbing his neck in the process. Having the upper hand, I flip him over easily and pull out the first thing my hand makes contact with on my belt. My taser. Perfect… Before he can reach out and grab me by my hair, I turn on the taser and press it firmly into his head, efficiently knocking him out. He falls to the ground with thud and I cant help the sly smile that spreads across my face.

I pull out my last gun and point it right at his head, "Say goodbye asshole." And I pull the trigger. I take in the satisfying sound of his canon going off seconds after the bullet makes contact with his skull until the sound of loud thunder breaks me out of my thoughts. "Steve, shit." Taking one glance back at Bobbi, I send her a silent thanks, before rushing off in the way we both came.

Just as I enter the clearing where the others are, I feel another presence in the area and the change in mood as soon as I emerge from the bushes. My fingers have just closed on the feathers of an arrow when the metal cylinder smashes into the side of my head. The next thing I know, I'm lying on my beck in the vines, a terrible pain in my left temple. Something's wrong with my eyes. My vision blurs in and out of focus as I strain to make the two moons floating up in the sky into one. It's hard to breath and I realize Clint's sitting on my chest, pinning me at the shoulders with his knees. There's a stab in my left forearm. I try to jerk away, but I'm still too incapacitated. Clint's digging something; I guess the point of his knife, into my flesh, twisting it around. There's an excruciating ripping sensation and warmth runs down my wrist, filling my palm. He swipes down my arm and coats half my face with my blood. "Stay down!" He hisses. His weight leaves my body and I'm surrounded by two other boys while the fourth and fifth run off, one of them holding something in his bloody hands.

_Stay down? What's happening?_ "Natasha, hold very still now." Bruce's calming voice instructs as he wraps something around my arm. My eyes shut, blocking out the inconsistent world, as I try to make sense of my situation. "There you go, almost done." I very disorientated and I raise my other hand to touch my head, but someone grabs my hands before I can.

"No Lady Natasha, it's very important that you remain still and let Banner patch you up." Thor's booming voice comes up from my left. I groan at the loudness of his voice that hurts my head.

"W-What's.. what's happening? Wh-… Where's Steve?"

"We're losing him. He has to hold on a little longer and we'll all be safe. Just a few more moments." Bruce says as if anticipating something. I open my eyes and find Bruce looking up at the sky as if waiting for something to happen. What is he talking about? The games aren't over yet. We still have five more tributes that need to die and from the looks of it, I'm the next one. I just hope Steve pulls through because he has to win. I still have a gun left, maybe I can eliminate Bruce and Thor real quick, with a bullet to the head.

My hand slowly slips beside me reaching to grab the bow and arrow Bobbi gave me before she died. Maybe I could just put an arrow through their heads before one of them has a chance to do something. Two arrows, two more cannons, then two more to go after me. Then all Steve has to do is get rid of Tony and Clint. That's the best I can do for him. Leave him with two enemies.

Enemy. Enemies. The word is tugging at a recent memory. Pulling it into the present. The look on Haymitch's face. "_Natasha, when your in the arena…" _the scowl, the misgiving. "_What?"_ I hear my own voice tighten as I bristle at some unspoken accusation. "_You just remember who the enemy is." _Haymitch says. "_That's all." _Haymitch's last words of advice to me. Why would I need reminding? I have always known who the enemy is. Who starves and tortures and kills us in the arena. Who will soon kill everyone I love. Suddenly my grip on the gun is gone as his meaning registers. Yes, I know who the enemy is. And it's not Bruce or Thor. I see Bruce's weapon with clear eyes, a gold wire. Perfect. An idea pops into my mind immediately and my shaking hands slide one of the arrows from its sheath and the bow from behind my back. I grab the wire from behind Bruce. I slide the wire from the hilt, wind it around the arrow just above the feathers and secure it with a knot I picked up in training.

"Natasha, what are you doing?" Bruce asks finally looking down at me. I ignore him rising from my spot on the ground. I may not be good at the bow and arrow, but I'm still a good shot when it comes to them, just not as perfect as Bobbi and Clint were. My bow tilts up at the wavering square, the flaw, the… what did Bruce and Betty call it that day? The chink in the armor. I let the arrow fly, see it hit its mark and vanish, pulling the thread of gold behind it. My hair stands on end and the lightning strikes the tree.

A flash of white runs up the wire and for a moment, the dome bursts into a dazzling blue light. I'm thrown backwards and Bruce and Thor take cover as soon as they realize what I'm doing. My body is useless, paralyzed, eye frozen wide, as feathery bits of matter rain down on me. I cant reach Steve. My eyes straining to capture one last image of beauty to take with me. Right before the explosions begin, I find a star.

.

.

.

.

When I swim back into semiconscousness, I can feel the I'm lying on a padded table. There's the pinching sensation of tubes in my left arm. They are trying to keep me alive because, if I slide quietly, privately into death, it will be victory. I'm unable to move, open my eyelids, raise my head, but my right arm has regained a little motion. It flops across my body, feeling like a flipper, no, something less animated, like a club. I have no real motor coordination, no proof that I even still have fingers. Yet I manage to swing my arm around until I rip the tubes out. A beeping goes off, but I cant stay away to find out who it will summon.

The next time I surface, my hands are tied down to the table, the tubes back in my arm. I can open my eyes and lift my head slightly, though. I'm in a large room I can hear the breathing of what I assume are my fellow victors. Directly across from me I see Bruce with about ten different machines hooked up to him. _Just let us die! _I scream in my mind. I slam my head back hard on the table and go out again.

When I finally, truly, wake up, the restraints are gone. I raise my hand and find I have fingers that can move at my command again. I push myself to a sitting position and hold on to the padded table until the room settles into focus. My left arm is bandaged, but the tubes dangle off stands by the bed. I'm alone. Where are the others then? Steve, Clint, Bruce, Thor and Tony.

Steve. Where's Steve? Is he still alive? "Steve…" I whisper. Sliding my legs off the table, I look around for a weapon. If the Capitol has caught us and plan to torture us later once we've recovered enough to be healthy, I have to find Steve and kill him and I now. Before the Capitol gets to choose the agonizing means of his and my death. There are a few syringes sealed in a sterile plastic on a table near an empty bed. Perfect. All Ill need is air and a clear shot at one of his veins. Then I'll save the second one for me.

I'm naked except for a thin nightgown, so I slip the syringes under the bandage that covers my wound on my arm. There are no guards at the door. No doubt I'm miles beneath the Training Center or in some Capitol stronghold, and the possibility of my escape is nonexistent. It doesn't matter. I'm not escaping, just finishing a job. I creep down a narrow hallway to a metal door that stands slightly ajar. Someone is behind it. I take out a syringe and grip it in my hand. Flattening myself against the wall, I listen to the voices inside. A hoarse voice asks a question.

"No I'm sorry. There was no way I can get you to One. But I've given special orders for her retrieval if possible. It's the best I can do, Tony." Plutarch Heavensbee replies. Plutarch. Tony. My mind struggles to make sense of the conversation, of the fact that it's taking place between Plutarch Heavensbee and Tony Stark. He croaks out something else. Something heavy with despair.

"Don't be stupid. That's the worst thing you could do. Get her killed for sure. As long as your alive, they'll keep her alive for bait" Another voice speaks, one that I've never heard before.

I sneak up to the door where the voices are coming from, but the closer I get I realize the door has a motion sensor and opens when it feels motion. Just as I press my ear against the door, it opens automatically and I'm stumbling into the room. A man I've never met before, Plutarch and a very beat up Tony and Bruce sit around a table laid with a meal no one is eating. Daylight streams in the curved windows and in the distance I can see the top of a forest of trees. We are flying.

"Done knocking yourself out sweatheart?" Tony says sarcastically, the annoyance clear in his voice. But as I careen forward he steps up and catches my wrists, steadying me. He looks at my hand. "So it's you and a springe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." I stare at him uncomprehendingly. "Drop it." I feel the pressure on my right wrist until my hand is forced to open and I release the syringe. He settles me in a chair next to Bruce.

Bruce puts a bowl of broth in front of me and a roll. He slips a spoon into my hand. "Eat." He says in a much kind tone then Tony.

A bald, black man with an eye patch and dressed in a large black trenchcoat sits directly in front of me. "Natasha Romanoff, before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself. No you don't know me. But my name is Nick Fury and I'm the person that in charge of getting the six of you out of that arena safely. I run an organization that Loki had told you about, SHIELD. Now that we got introductions out of al the way, I'm going to explain what happened. I don't want you to ask any questions until I'm through. Do you understand?" I nod numbly. This is what he tells me.

There was a plan to break us out of the arena from the moment the reaping called our six names. The tributes from 1, 2, 4, 9, and 11 had varying degrees of knowledge about it. Plutarch Heavensbee and Fury had been, for several years, part of an undercover group aiming to overthrow the Capitol. It was Steve's job to keep me alive as long as possible in order for the rebels to take me and the others out of the arena. The six of us were to be put together to create a group called the Avengers, protectors of the world. They made sure the wire was among the weapons that were in the pile at the Cornucopia. It was Peggy's job to slip it into my belt while at the Cornucopia. Bruce was in charge of blowing a hole in the force field. The bread we received in the arena was code for the time of the rescue. The district where the bread originated indicated the day. Three. The number of rolls the hour. Twenty four. We are currently heading towards SHIELD secret location. Meanwhile, most of the districts in Panem are in full scale rebellion. Fury stops to see if I'm following. Or maybe he is done with for the moment. It's an awful lot to take in, this elaborate plan in which I was a piece in their Games. Used without consent, without knowledge. At least in the Hunger Games, I knew I was being played with.

"You didn't tell me." My voice is as ragged as Tony's.

"We couldn't risk it." Plutarch says.

"I still don't understand why I wasn't let in on the plan."

"Because once the force field blew, you'd be the first ones they'd try to capture and the less you knew the better." Bruce says.

"The first ones? Why?"

"For the same reason the rest of us agreed to die to keep you alive." Tony says.

"No Clint tried to kill me."

Bruce butts in, "Clint knocked you out to cut the tracker from your arm and lead the Capitol away from you."

"What?" My head aches so much and I want them to stop talking in circles. "I don't know what you're-"

"We had to save you because you're the Black Widow. The symbol of the revolution. While you live, the revolution lives."

"… Steve." I whisper, my heart sinking.

"The others kept Steve alive because if he died, we knew there'd be no keeping you in the alliance. And besides Steve wasn't the one that needed protecting, you did. And we couldn't risk leaving you unprotected." Fury says. His words are matter of fact, his expression unchanged, but he cant hide the tinge of gray that colors his face.

"Where is he?" I demand.

"He's alright. We were able to save him in time. Granted he flat lined a couple of times on us, but we were able to stabilize him. Clint and Thor are with him right-"

"Where is he?" I demand again standing up.

"I don't think it's a good-"

"Just tell her." Tony cuts Plutarch off. "She's going to find him anyway, save her the trouble of going on a mad search for him." Sighing, reluctantly Plutarch tells me where he is and I'm dashing out of the room as fast as I can with only one thought in mind. Steve.

.

.

I knock once before letting myself in, not being able to help myself. "Steve." My eyes instantly fall on the figure on the bed and the two sitting next to his bed, playing a game with cards. They look up at me my arrival, but they're far beneath my worries. I rush to Steve's side and my fingers instantly press against the side of his neck. I sigh in relief when I feel the strong, heavy pulse drum against my fingers. I sit on the top of the bed and bring Steve into my lap, running a hand through his hair trying to reassure myself that Steve is safe. He's alive and he's safe with me, not the Capitol. Leaning down I press my lips to his temple and sigh in relief.

"He's fine. He woke up a couple hours ago, but was too exhausted to form a coherent sentence. Hasn't woken up since." Clint explains. I nod my head and keep my attention on Steve, looking for any injures or sense that he was hurt in the arena. But just like me, it looks like any trace of dirt and injures were gone, like we had never been in the arena at all. Smiling, I caress Steve's face and pull him closer to me asking Clint and Thor to leave. I can feel their eyes watching my every move, and all I want to do right now is be alone with Steve. Be there when he wakes up again and be the first person he sees. Clint and Thor look like they're about to protest, but I settle them with a glare and they leave without a word.

Closing my eyes, I rest my head on top of Steve's before moving to rest it on top of his chest where I hear the strong, heavy pounding of his heart. The one thing at this moment that could take all my worries away and calm myself.

Steve's heart beat.

I fall asleep to the sound of it drumming against my ears and a smile on my face when I feel his hand slowly come up to rest on my cheek.

He's alive.

Steve's alive.


	21. Chapter 21

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 21**

**(Steve's P.O.V)**

I crack my eyes open, aware of a familiar pressure on my chest and a something on my face. For a moment, I'm disoriented. _What happened?_

A hand rises to touch the thing on my face and find my hand in contact with a mask covering my nose and mouth. _A mask?_ Pulling it off my face, I open my eyes and examine the thing in my hand. As soon as the thing isn't in contact with my face I find myself panting and struggling to breathe while only a second ago I was breathing just fine. _What is th-_

I catch a blur of fiery red head and I feel myself relax immediately.

Natasha.

Looking down I find Natasha, asleep, with her head on my chest and arms wrapped around my bandage body. My chest heaves heavily and I'm afraid I'm about to wake her as I struggle to bring must needed air into my hungry lungs. Using as much energy as I can muster with lack of oxygen, I tighten my arms around her and bring her closer to me. Well as close as these tubes and wires are allowing. Speaking wires and tubes. Removing my arms from her for the slightest second, my fingers has just latched onto the first tube I'm about to pull out when a hand suddenly grabs onto my wrist. On instinct I spring away, startled, still half in the arena, I guess.

"Easy, just me." Natasha's soft voice speaks to me, her soft fingers rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand. Sighing in relief I look down at her, smiling softly at her bed head. She gives me a smile and guides my hand away from the tube. "Don't pull it out." She reprimands. "These are keeping you alive at the moment. Along with the breathing ma-" That's when she notices my heavy panting and the mask sit sitting in my left hand. Shaking her head, she settles me with a glare before grabbing the mask and slipping it back on my face. "Steve Rogers." I soon relax when my breathing gets under control and I mutter a quick apology. Shaking her head, she places a kiss on my cheek before easing back down on the bed. "Are you okay?"

I nod my head and I cant help, but reach out and take her hand in mine. Taking a moment, I squeeze it with all the energy in my body and pull her closer to me. Leaning my head on her shoulder, I take a deep breath and relish in the sweet sense that she's safe and alive. That we're both out of the arena and, from the looks of it, she doesn't hate me for what I did. Running a hand through her hair, she smiles down at me before wrapping the blanket around us tighter.

I trace a finger down her cheek before she presses a tentative kiss onto my temple. "Thank god your alive." She whispers so softly, putting her head on my chest to listen to my heart beat. "Thank god… I was so worried." On instinct, I tighten my arms around her and rub soothing circles on her back.

I feel something wet hit my chest and I cant help, but wince slightly knowing that she's hurt. She's scared. All because of me. "I'm sorry." I try to mumble around the mask, but it comes out all muffled. I raise my hand to take off the mask, but she shakes her head.

"Don't. Please." Her voice sounds so scared. So vulnerable. Nodding, I place my hand where it previously was, on her waist. Snuggling into my side, we stay like this for what seems like hours, but turned out to be a couple of minutes. The light shines brightly in the room and I cant help, but let my mind wander. _Wh_at _happened? Where are we?_

But before I can ask her, the door opens and Tony walks in. Natasha looks up as well and upon seeing Tony merely just tightens her hold on me. Taking a large breath, I pat her arm before attempting to sit up.

"What are you-" she starts feeling me move from under her. "Steve no." But I ignore her and push myself up into a sitting position, placing Natasha on my lap.

"Cap what are you doing? You need to lie down." Tony objects, and I only wave him off. I feel fine. Well as fine as I can be.

Raising an eyebrow, I look expectantly at Tony for an explanation. He sighs, running a hand through his hair, before opening the door again. "Meeting in the conference room. Get ready and be there, take as much time as you need. You too 'Tasha." Natasha frowns at the nickname Tony had used on her. She only allows me to call her that and Tony just gives her a smug smile. "Here." Reaching out of the room for a second, Tony tosses Natasha two piles of clothing. "Put those on. You will need to help Steve. See ya lovebirds." Tony gives us wink before slipping out of the room. Rolling my eyes, Natasha jumps off of my lap and places the clothing on the bed.

"Come on." She helps me stand, being mindful of the tubes and wires. Taking one look at me, she nods when her assessment is over and starts detaching the wires from me. I felt fine when the wires were in me, but now my legs feel like jello. Natasha catches me just in time before I topple over.

"Sorry." I wheeze when she takes off the breathing mask.

"Do you think you can do it? If not I'll tell Fury to reschedule until your feeling better." Natasha asks, concern in her eyes. Taking a moment, I register all the parts of my body that are numb and the parts that hurt like hell. Weighing them, the numb feeling wins. I'll be fine, as long as I don't jostle an injury.

"Yeah… I'll be fine." Placing a hand on her shoulder to steady myself, I straight up and allow her to guide me to the bathroom in the room. Once inside, she leaves for a quick moment to grab our clothing before closing and locking the door.

.

**(Natasha's P.O.V)**

.

I start the shower before turning to Steve. "Slowly raise your arms." I order him. He obeys, taking a minute to raise his hand without hurting himself.

Grabbing the hem of the shirt I take off his shirt, being aware of his bruised shoulder, and throw it across the room. Without hesitating, I reach down and unbuckle his belt before pulling his pants down. He steps out of them, his eyes closing tiredly and his shoulder sagging slightly. He starts to lean towards me, but I place my hands on his chest stopping him from completely tipping over.

"Hold on Steve, lets just get you in the shower and then you don't have to do anything." Removing his last article of clothing, I guide him into the shower, keeping a hold of him as I turn around, my back to him. "Unzip please." I ask, a memory resurfacing to mind as I speak.

_He's nervous and I think I'm twice as nervous as he is. I don't answer his question, instead I walk straight up to him and turn around pulling my hair up._

"_Unzip." I tell him._

"_Nat-"_

"_Unzip." I simply state again waiting for his hands to fully unzip my cat suit. Steve lets out a shaking breath before I feel his hands skimming the back of my neck with his hands as I hear my zipper being unzipped. I smile to myself and bit my bottom lip as I turn back around to face Steve. His eyes are down casted and there's a slight blush on his cheeks. __**Steve always the gentlemen, well not tonight. I don't want a gentlemen, I just want him.**_

It seems like forever ago that happened. When Steve and I were extremely nervous around each other, him barely being able to look at me. Now it seems like a regular routine for us. Steve had stopped blushing a while ago and I find it sort of relaxing that I could at least help relieve Steve some of his pain by helping him keeping his hygiene up. When I feel the jumpsuit fall from my shoulders, not having a stitch of clothing on me, I turn around and jump in the shower with him. I keep my hands on his shoulders to steady him and his arms wrap around my waist immediately.

"Close your eyes and relax." I instruct in a soft voice, my hands running over his chest softly. Using one hand I rest it on his cheek and the other rest on his waist slowly going downwards to calm him. "Do you trust me?"

He nods instantly, "With my life." Taking a deep breath, Steve allows his eyes to close and his body goes limp as he relaxes.

.

.

We stay in the shower for an awful long time, but no one seems to care when Steve and I walk into the room wearing the outfits Tony supplied for us. The same similar outfit I wore on interview night right after my dress was burned away, the black cat suit. And- I couldn't help, but laugh when seeing him- Steve was wearing blue tights, and a blue shirt with a star right in the middle and red and white stripes. He looked ridiculous, but ridiculously cute.

I help guide him into the chair closest to the door before taking it upon myself and scooting the next one closer to his seat. From our spot, I reach over and take his hand in mine before we turn out attention to the person standing in front of the room, Fury, with Phil and Maria on either side of him.

"Steve how are you?" Fury asks as soon as we have his attention.

"Feeling better sir." He replies in a formal voice, so unlike the one I'm usually seeing. The carefree, happy- go Steve. This is a change. "What happened while I was out?"

"Districts are in rebellion. Only a few are refusing to fight on either side. We successfully recaptured the six of you," Fury says indicating Natasha, Thor, Steve, Bruce, Tony and Clint. "The Capitol is falling slowly, but they're planning to fight us."

"That's what we expected from the beginning." Steve replies. We? Whose we? "And we're ready when they come attacking."

"Well Captain you are, and so are the others, but…" Fury nods towards me, knowing full well that I can hear and see him.

"Have you seen the way little Red fights? She'll be fine. She'll be more then fine actually." Tony says standing from his spot and walking over to where Steve and I sit. Putting an arm around my shoulder he says, "She's ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?" Every head turns to look at me, some more skeptical than others.

"You didn't tell her Rogers?" Fury asks.

Steve shrugs, "I didn't have time. I barely woke up an hour ago then we were told me met here."

"Well now it's best for you to tell her everything. Not leaving out a single detail. I've already explained most of it, but she needs more specific details." _Please!_ I beg in my mind watching as Fury, Maria and Phil turn to leave the room, the others getting up from their spots. Tony's arm removes from around me and he pats Steve's shoulder before turning and leaving with Clint, Thor and Bruce following closely behind. Now it's just us two.

I look expectantly up at Steve. He lied to me before and I want to be angry at him for doing it, but I cant bring myself to conjure up the emotion. I cant be mad at him. In the arena, I was so worried that I lost him when Loki blasted him that everything that Loki had said slipped my mind. I don't care that he lied to me. I don't care that he kept secrets from me. I just care that he's still alive so he can make this right and tell me himself everything he kept a secret.

Squeezing his hands reassuringly I nod my head in encouragement. Sighing, Steve runs a hand over his face before starting to play with our intertwined finger. I can tell he's having a difficult time trying to figure out what to say, and how to explain it. "Steve…" I whisper softly. "It's okay. I wont get mad, just tell me."

"Natasha you don't know how important you are to this cause. And how much danger your in. You poise a threat to the Capitol. A huge one. That's the whole reason why The Avengers were created. To defeat the Capitol and take down the government to stop the Games, but also to keep you safe. You cant die, you need to live. What's making it difficult is you because the Capitol is after you. They're after you because you're the Black Widow and with the Black Widow, the districts are given something to fight for."

"What's that?"

"Hope. And Freedom. You've given everyone a reason to fight. They just have to be brave enough to take it. People look up to you."

"Why am I the Black Widow? Why cant someone else be it? Because I don't want anyone looking up to me."

"Don't say that Natasha."

"I don't!" I exclaim jumping out of my seat and going to pace back and forth, running a hand through my hair. "It seems that when people do look up to me I let them down. Because of me people die and I don't want that. You don't know how hard it is for me. Peggy, Pepper, Bobbi, Sif and Betty all died protecting me. I lost Clint, Tony, Bruce, and Thor's girl. They scarified the things they most cared about for me. And if that's what everyone else is going to do just for me, I don't want to be looked up too."

"Natasha," Steve says standing up and gripping my shoulders in his hands, effectively stopping me from pacing any further. "You think they scarified themselves for you?" His rhetorical question hanging in the air for a few moments. "No they didn't. They scarified themselves for this war, for our freedom. If they didn't, we would still be stuck in that arena fighting to stay alive. And if they didn't do what they did, you or I would be dead on this point because there would've been no point in continuing that alliance. If you died then there would've been nothing in this world. People would've continued their miserable lives working as servants, starving and sending their kids to the reaping. If I died as least there still would've been you. Like I said, nobody needs me."

"And like I replied," I argued crossing my arms across my chest. "I do. I need you more than anything. It's either they have both of us, or neither of us. I'm not doing this without you."

"Natasha you're way too special to lose. Your very special. To me and this cause." Steve replies.

"Special how?" I place my head in my hands and lean forward, resting my body weight on Steve. I'm so confused. Why am I so special? What makes me better then others?

Steve's arms wrap around me and he presses a kiss to my forehead. Looking me directly in the eyes, he rubs his hands together before taking a deep breath and in one breath says, "Natasha as a child SHIELD somehow found a way to inject something in you. No one knows what they injected in you, but it's very powerful and strong. Your mother and father never knew about it and Aiden was safe from the injection. The chemical running through your blood made you who you are today and I was injected with the same chemical. The thing that runs in your veins, runs in mine as well."

"…What?"

"Bruce found out it's a serum to simulate growth, strengthen strength and overall make you a super person. Or as people call me a super soldier. It has only been made twice and been used twice. No one knows how to recreate and we're the only two people in this entire world that have it. The Capitol found out about us and now we poise a threat to them, therefore making them want to eliminate us before getting rid of the others."

"So they're planning on killing us before the others?" I can feel the room starting to get dizzy, a hand coming to rest on my head. I can feel one of Steve's hand touch the small of back and the other encircle around me.

"Us and everything and everyone we love."

Everyone we… love.

Aiden.

Brayden.

Steve.

The room suddenly goes dark.


	22. Chapter 22

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 22**

A few hours later, I slip back into consciousness and become aware of a quiet conversation in the dark room. Steve and Brayden…

Brayden!

My first instinct is to jump up and tackle him, hugging the hell out of him. I thought I'd never see him again and the sound of his voice makes me want to just hold him tight and never let him go. I've missed him like crazy and it drove me insane when I didn't have my hunting partner having my back in the arena. After the reaping I thought I would have some time to tell him how much he means to me. How he like a big brother I never had and I will never forget all the great times we had together. Also, I wanted to ask him if he remembered our secret promise that we never spoke about except the time when we made it. The promise that if one of our names were to be called from the reaping, the other would do their best to take care of the other's family when/ if we don't return. But even that opportunity was taken from me when Steve and I were lead straight to the trains. But now he's here. On the Helicarrier, with me. Only… why is he here? Why isn't he home? Where's Aiden? And my mother?

Their hushed voices are the only thing keeping me from announcing that I've awaken. That I can hear what they're saying and that I'm eavesdropping. Now I'm wide away, tears spring in my eyes at the sound of my best friend's voice speaking with my… boyfriend? Is Steve even really that? Boyfriend seems too limited a title for what Steve is to me. He's so much more. I cant help myself from eavesdropping.

"How is she?" Brayden asks, breathless, as if he'd been running to reach us.

"Not good. She's not taking the Capitol's revenge on you, her mother and her brother any good. Which I don't blame her. Luckily she only fainted. Probably should wake up in an hour. More or less." _Less_, I think to myself straining to hear their voices. "How's everyone in district 12?"

There's a long pause before Brayden replies, his voice sounding upset, so unlike his usual arrogant attitude. Just like mine. "I tried to get everyone out as fast as I could. I could only succeed in getting 900 hundred people out." _Get everyone out? What is he talking about? Is he talking about District 12?_

"Did Aiden and Natasha's mother make it?" Steve questions quietly.

"Yes, they were one of the first out of that place. I went back for more. I'm sorry Steve, but when I went to get your family… they were gone. The bakery, your house. They were both gone." Brayden says, his voice sounding compassionate. The first time I've ever heard him sound sincere since meeting him.

When Steve speaks he doesn't sound the least bit upset, only determined and angered. "What happened?"

"After Natasha blew up the force field, they sent in planes. Dropped firebombs." He hesitates. "Well, you know what happened to the Hob years ago." Steve and I do know. I saw it go up. That old warehouse embedded with coal dust. The whole district's covered with the stuff. A new kind of horror begins to rise up inside me as I imagine firebombs hitting the Seam. My house, my family. "I ran straight to our houses and got our family out. I tried to go back for yours, but… I was too late. I'm sorry Steve."

I bite my lip to keep a sob that threatens to escape my lips, only to get lodged in my throat. Oh my god… District 12. It's gone. Steve's family is gone. He's right. There's no one left in district 12 for him. Not even a home to live in. Just me. I'm all he has left. "So…" Steve starts, his voice a little weak from the news. "There's no district 12."

"No."

No district 12. It being burned up in flames because of the Capitol. They almost killed my family. They did kill Steve's family. They almost tried to kill everyone I love. Well it didn't work and it wont work. Not as long as I'm still breathing. Fuck the Capitol and everyone in it. They'll pay for what they did. To Steve and I. Soon enough. I'm ready. I'm ready to be the Black Widow.

.

.

Barging into the conference room, Steve and the others hot on my tail- including Brayden- I clear my throat to gather Fury's, Maria's and Phil's attention. The three are currently hunched over a screen watching a Capitol broadcast. They look up at the sound of us entering and Fury is the first to straighten up and turn his undivided attention on me.

As soon as I'm certain everyone is listening, I take a deep breath and sigh letting it out. "I'll be your Black Widow."

"Excellent. Your training starts immediately."

"Actually, I hoping someone would explain what I have to do exactly. As Black Widow, what's my job?"

"Our plan is to launch an Airtime Assault." Fury explains. "To make a series of what we call propos- which is short for 'propaganda spots'- featuring you and the Avengers. With Bruce's and Tony's help, we can broadcast them to the entire population of Panem."

"How?"

"Using Bruce and Tony. Two years ago, they essentially redesigned the underground network that transmits all the programming. They think there's a reasonable chance it can be done."

"We don't just think Fury," Bruce corrects. "We know because we invented it."

"Of course, we'll need something to air." Tony interjects. "And that sweetheart is where you come in. So, Natasha, the studio awaits your pleasure." Tony turns to Coulson. "Coulson?"

"Right, so Maria and I have been talking about how we can pull this off. Originally we weren't too focused on your look, but more of your battle skills. Only then we realized that's the only way to get the citizens and districts attention. The Capitol citizens are costume crazy-"

"More like maniacs." Maria mutters rolling her eyes.

"- So we thought it might be best to build you, our rebel leader, from the outside in. That is to say, we would have to find you the most stunning Black Widow look possible and then work you personality up to being a fighter."

"Hey Coulson, she already is a fighter. She just needs a look." Clint butts in putting an arm around my shoulders. I wrinkle my features in disgust about to shake his arm off my shoulder when Steve suddenly yanks me from Clint's grip, his eyes narrowing in on the archer. I cant help, but feel smug at the protectiveness Steve shows and the way Clint seems to shrink under his gaze.

"She doesn't need a look, she's prefect the way she is." Steve insists and I fight the urge to blush, the hotness starting to come to my cheeks.

"Calm down Rogers." Clint says putting a hand up in a defensive position. "I wasn't implying anything, but it would be better for her status if she had a look. That way once people see it, they'll be able to have hope."

"Besides we already have your uniform." Maria adds.

"What we're trying to figure out is if you're scarred and bloody? Are you glowing with fire of rebellion? Which is why," Coulson moves to stand from the table and walks over to the currently closed door. He opens it and in rush my prep team, their faces giddy with excitement and bodies nearly vibrating as they express their happiness by kissing, and hugging me tightly as if they're genuinely happy to see me again. "We're leaving that up to them." Coulson nods at them politely, giving them a small smile.

"Sweetie we missed you!" Flavius gushes kissing my left cheek once more as the other two engulf me in hugs.

"Look at you!" Octavia squeals squeezing me.

"Oh well, at least it wasn't as worse as we thought." Venia comments to Flavius. "This," she says gesturing to my body. "we can fix. Piece of cake. We'll just have to remake her to Beauty Base Zero. And we'll work from there."

"Sweetie wait till you see the costume. We made some alterations and you'll love them!" Octavia says, the other two nodding along. I cant help, but let a small smile grace my features as their peppy, high pitched voices and large grins on their faces express their total and complete excitement. They are really glad to see me again, genuinely glad to see me.

"You have four hours with her." Fury tells them and all three heads whip to look at him as if Fury had three heads.

"Four hours?" Venia scoffs, holding up a strand of my hair. "To fix this." She gestures my body. I cant help, but feel self conscious and a little offended by the way she said that. "I don't think so."

"If you want her perfect and ready for the cameras, we'll at least need 6." Oh god, 6 hours with these three.

Fury goes to argue, but Maria places a hand on his shoulder shaking her head asking him not to argue with my prep team. Sighing, Fury nods his consent. "But only 6 hours." He tells my elated prep team. "She's now yours."

My eyes widen. "Now?" I ask.

"Yes now, we need our first propos soon because the Capitol will soon start fighting after what Loki, that son of bitch, exposed. It will distract them enough to allow us entrance into the Capitol without being seen."

"Now lets go since we only have 6 hours." Flavius says pushing me towards the door, the other two following suit. I only have enough time to shoot Steve a 'Help me' look before the door closes between the others and my prep team and I.

.

.

Beauty Base Zero turns out to be what a person would like if they stepped out of bed looking flawless, but natural. It means my nails are perfectly shaped, but not polished. My hair soft and shiny, but not styled. My skin smooth and clear, but not painted. Wax the body hair and erase the dark circles, but don't make any noticeable enhancements. I suppose Phil gave them the same instructions the first day I arrived as a tribute in the Capitol. Only that was different, since I was a contestant. As a rebel, I thought I'd get to look more like myself. But it seems a televised rebel has her own standards to live up to.

After I rinse the lather from my body, I turn to find Octavia waiting with towel. Before when she and the other two rushed into the debriefing room, I never took notice of how different she really looked. She is so altered from the woman I knew in the Capitol. She kept her bubbly and happy personality, but her appearances changed drastically. She's stripped of the gaudy clothing, the heavy makeup, the dyes and jewelry and knickknacks she adorned her hair with. As she pats me dry, I try to become acquainted with SHIELD Octavia. Her real hair turns out to be a nice auburn. Her face is ordinary, but has an undeniable sweetness. She's younger than I thought. Maybe early twenties. Devoid of the three inch decorative nails, her fingers appear almost stubby.

Flavius, too, appears washed out without his purple lipstick and bright clothes. He's managed to get his orange ringlets back in some sort of order, though.

It's Venia who's the least changed. Her aqua hair lies flat instead of in spikes and you can see the roots growing in gray. However, the tattoos were always her most striking characteristic and they're as golden and shocking as ever.

It's no simple job getting me back to Beauty Case Zero, even with the elaborate arsenal of products, tools and gadgets Maria and Phil had the foresight to bring from the Capitol. My preps do pretty well until they address the spot on my arm where Clint dug out the tracker. None of the medical team was focusing on looks when they patched up the gaping hole. Now I have a lumpy, jagged scar that ripples out over a space the size of an apple. "It's okay." Flavius says, avoiding looking at it. "We'll patch it back up. The sleeves of your outfit will cover it and keep it from showing."

I get dressed so I can meet up with Steve for dinner. My first meal since the arena and… surprisingly, I'm not that hungry. Just a little nauseous. Must be because I haven't eaten in a couple of days. Maybe if I get some food in my system, I'll stop feeling like I have to throw up.

I smile instantly when my eyes land on Steve waiting patiently outside the dining hall. He looks over when he hears footsteps and sees me and my prep team making our way towards him. "Hey." He greets pulling me into his arms. I wrap my arms around his torso and press my face into the crook of his neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I sigh taking a deep breath before pulling away. He places a kiss on my cheek and we're about to enter the doors before I remember about my prep team. Looking over at them, I see my prep team huddles in a little group by the door. "Are they bringing your food here?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"No." Venia says. "We're supposed to go to a dining hall." I can tell that none of them feel comfortable about eating around people like us. They're more accustom to the way they use to live and this is such a environment change to them. I sigh inwardly as I imagine walking into the dining hall with Steve, trailed by these three. Looking over at him, he nods his consent. He doesn't care if they follow us. We always get stared at by everyone we pass. This will be more of the same.

"Come on, we'll show you where it is." Steve says gesturing for them to follow. The covert glances and quiet murmurs I usually evoke are nothing compared to the reactions brought on by the sight of my bizarre- looking prep team. The gaping mouths, the finger pointing and the exclamations stop as fast as they came as soon as Steve and I set our heated glares their way. "Just ignore them." I tell my prep team, glaring at a passing SHIELD agent who had the courage to open their mouth to say something, but shut it quickly upon noticing Steve and I.

When I look over at the table that contains Tony, Clint, Thor, and Bruce I catch a glimpse of blonde hair. Familiar, short, blonde hair. Turning around, my breath hitches in my throat as my eyes make contact with blue eyes. Not Steve's sea blue eyes, but…

Aiden's.


	23. Chapter 23

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 23**

My feet take off running before my mind can process what's going on. I feel someone grab my hand, but I shake them off heading in the direction of the blue eyes that stare back at me with such love and relief. The owner of the blue eyes, stands from his spot at the table beside my mother and rushes to meet up with me halfway.

"Aiden!" I call out desperately to my brother whom seems to relax instantly at the sound of my voice. "Aiden!"

"Natasha!" He calls back and that's when I notice my mother stand from her seat, unmoving as she watches Aiden and I reach each other in the middle of the dining room. As soon as my brother's in arm length, my arms snake around his waist before easily lifting his body off the ground and crushing his body into my own. My eyes close as soon as I feel my brother's warmth radiate from his body and heat spread from where his skin makes contact with my own. I almost cry out in tears of happiness when I feel the familiar pressure of Aiden's body pressed against my own. My brother… my baby brother. He's alive and safe and in my arms where I know he'll always be protected.

Burying my head in the crook of his neck, I allow a few tears to escape my strong façade, in the safeness of Aiden's neck and where no one can see and where I have a few moments of privacy. Unfortunately, the moment wasn't as long as I had hoped. "Natasha." Aiden says breathlessly as he holds me tight. Discreetly, I wipe the tears running down my face before placing Aiden back down on the ground and looking up.

The happiness I felt at seeing her brother, flourished even more at the sight of my mother standing before me smiling. Actually smiling. "Mother?" This woman looked so different from the women I left in District 12 after the reaping. She looks younger, healthier and happier. Unlike the old, dead, broken woman I last saw and the women I feared would isolate herself from my brother in his time of need. It turns out she did exactly the opposite. And from my time in the arena, I have learned to forgive my mother from years of isolation after witnessing people I've grown to become friends with cope with the loss of someone they loved. Also, those awful dreadful moments where I felt my heart had been broken beyond repair upon not hearing the steady beat of Steve's heart under my fingertips or the warmth of his breath after he'd made contact with the force field. It was such an agonizing pain that I wish I never have to feel again. It felt as if someone had stabbed a knife into my heart and taken my lungs from my body leaving me breathless and my mind unable to think. Losing Steve for that moment made me think about what my mother had to go through for years on end. She never got my father back, like I had gotten Steve back. She never got her happy ending or even got to see my father's face again, unlike me. And the pain I felt that moment was an unbearable pain my mother had to go through and now I know I can't blame her for acting the way she did. Especially with how sick she was during her grieving process. Not only did my mother feel that way, but also the four boys on this so- called team of mine. 'The Avengers'.

Tony, Clint, Bruce and Thor all lost someone they loved and I can see from the look in their eyes that they haven't recovered and will most likely never recover. Pepper, Betty, Bobbi and Jane Sif chosen for these games and lost to them. For me. Not only do I have to live with that on my ledger that's dripping- that's gushing red-, but also I had to experience the horrible pain for a moment. Even if it was just for a moment, it was such an indescribable pain that I wish to never experience again. Unlike the four boys, I don't, which makes it even harder to look into their eyes without feeling guilty for what I've done. The guilt for my actions and the indescribable urge to wrap my arms around my mother's waist and curl into her body like I use to do as a child, is what possesses me to throw my arms around her neck. "Mommy." I whisper like a small child, my voice lowering. Her arms wrap around me tightly, her face being pressed into my shoulder and I can see the oncoming tears threatening to spill. I don't tell her to not cry because I can feel my tears starting to spill from my eyes. I've held them back for so long and I've been strong for so long. I do believe I have earned some time of vulnerability.

'You'll get your time 'Tasha.' I assure myself. 'Just not now. Not in front of a room full of people that are depending on you. Later.'

My mother's hand comes up to cup the back of my head and plant a kiss on the top of my head. "My sweet girl," she whispers closing her eyes and taking a whiff of my hair. "I'm so glad your alive."

"I'm glad that your safe. Both of you." I respond sincerely pulling away and wiping a few stray tears. Sniffing, I look behind me and find Steve still standing in the spot I previously left him in, in order to reach my mother and brother. Nodding, I motion for him to come forward and meet my family. He nods, turns to my prep team and tells them something, gesturing towards the table where the other four still sat peering at me and my family curiously. Steve turns and in a couple long strides, meets up with Aiden my mother and I. Clasping his hand behind his back, Steve stands with perfect posture and smiles respectfully at Aiden and my mother, his charm already taking place. "Mother, Aiden this is-"

"Steven Rogers, it's an honor to finally meet you ma'am." Grabbing my mother's hand, Steve bends down and places a caste kiss on her hand. My mother, unsurprisingly, blushes, but nods respectfully.

"Please to meet you to as well Steve."

"The pleasure is all mine." Steve says with a smile.

I cant help myself from shoving his shoulder slightly, "Kiss up." Steve's cheek go slightly pink, but he only shrugs. Steve's attention is soon brought to my brother when he unexpectedly slips out from behind me and runs to hug Steve around his waist.

Startled by the sudden display of my affection my brother gave him, Steve's arms hesitant before encircling my brother's waist. "Thank you so much." I hear Aiden whisper. I raise an eyebrow at Steve, but Steve just seems equally as confused as I am.

Bending down, Steve pulls Aiden away so he can look into his eyes. "Thanks for what?"

"For keeping my sister alive." Aiden says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "For protecting her, but mostly for loving her. In the arena. I would've never had the strength to keep her alive if I went into the arena with her and I definitely wouldn't have had the courage to do what you did. You saved her, therefore you saved my family. And for that I am forever grateful." Bending down beside Steve I cant help, but kiss my brother on the forehead.

Steve chuckles, ruffling up Aiden's hair. "Oh Aiden, you don't have to thank me. I love your sister very much and I'll do anything to protect her." We make eye contact and, he reaches over and interviews our fingers a loving look in his eyes. "She's my life now."

"I know and I'm glad she has someone like you. Someone to be her rock. I have my rock back now so she can stop being so strong and tense all the time." Aiden jokes taking my mother's hand. I stick out my tongue at him and he does the same. Gosh, no one can understand the happiness I feel. I'm seeing my family again. I'm actually talking and laughing at them, something other tributes didn't have the chance to do. It isn't until this moment I realize how lucky I am. And because of that I cherish my life even more, especially when I'm with Steve.

.

.

After dinner, Steve and I start making our way back to the room we woke up in this morning, but Bruce interrupts our path.

"Didn't you get the new memo Steve? Your not in that compartment anymore. Your in D4. Fury switched you to a bigger compartment."

"Why?"

"He assumed that you two would want some privacy and would sleep better if you shared a room." On instinct, I shrug. It's true, I would've slept with Steve if we were back in his smaller room anyway, but now at least I don't have to take the floor or Steve's entire bed. He needs all the rest he can get, considering he's still healing from the blast Loki threw at him. He's been on his feet all day, I'm surprised he hasn't passed out from lack of oxygen or the pain.

Patting him on the shoulder, I offer Bruce a smile before turning to leave with Steve. "Also don't forget. We need you both in Special Weaponry tomorrow morning to retrieve your weapons."

"Weapons?" I question. Who said anything about weapons. And what is my weapon? All I can handle is guns and knives and I don't even know what Steve's weapon is.

"When we infiltrate the Capitol, your going to need something to defend yourself with. Meet Tony and I down there at 8 sharp." Bruce informs before turning and leaving without another room.

"I don't really have a weapon." I admit when Steve and I start walking in a different direction.

"Yes you do. Your extremely handy with a gun and knife."

"Gun and knife. That's it. I'm not like Clint who is a good shot with a bow and arrow. Or Bruce with his inhumanly personality when provoked. Or Tony whose a genius and can make up his own weapon if he really wanted to."

"Natasha you handle whatever weapon you want. I don't have a designated weapon either. I have a shield because I prefer to fight without a weapon unless I most likely need one."

Raising an eyebrow in his direction, I cant help, but laugh. "Shield? And what does this shield look like Captain Rogers?"

"You'll see tomorrow. But now you need to get some rest." Steve says stopping at a door that has a D4 on a it. The room Bruce told us was now ours.

"You need to get some rest. I'm not in the one in a cast, nor have bandages wrapped around my body."

"Just get inside." Steve says winking at me. Laughing I walk inside and immediately head straight for the large bed occupying the middle. "Today was a long day and I think we both deserve a good night's rest before the actual work starts."

"I agree." Standing up, I walk over the dresser and look inside to find many cat- suits filling up an entire drawer, the same cat- suit that I put on. Sighing, I cant help, but complain. "Do I get anything else, other than these?" I ask pointing to the outfit I have on. I was hoping to at least get hunting boots, regular plain shirts and jeans, anything that would make me look like my regular self. Before I was reaped into the Hunger Games.

Steve's eyes rake over my body before smirking and shrugging, "I, for one, enjoying watching you walk around in a tight skinned cat- suit."

Grabbing the first thing my hand touches; I throw a pillow at him. "Pig. You only like this because you can see my cleavage and my ass sticks out prominently."

"Guilty." Steve said not really looking ashamed at being caught.

Shaking my head, I turn around to Steve and he, without my having to ask, unzips my cat- suit. Stripping out of it, I'm left in my underwear and bra. "I'm going to go take a shower." I announcing heading to the door knowing fully well that Steve's eyes are following me right at this very moment. He hums and risking a peek behind me, I can see lust take over his features and a longing look in his eyes. Rolling my eyes, when I get to the doorway of the bathroom I turn to look at him, my red curls falling in front of my face. "And your going to join me." I add smirking at him.

Closing the previously open draw immediately, Steve nods "Better," before running towards me. I let out a squeal when he snakes an arm around me and pulls me inside and then the night is ours again.


	24. Chapter 24

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 24**

The next morning, the moment I open my eyes I suddenly feel sick. I only manage to get "Oh no," out before I shove Steve's arm off of me- efficiently waking him up in the process- and jump out of bed making a beeline for the bathroom. Slamming the door shut, I rush to the toilet only making it in time before my dinner from last night comes up along with everything I was able to consume in the arena.

I hear a timid knock on the bathroom door by the time I'm almost done. "Go away." I wheeze, grabbing my torso. "Don't come in."

"Nat," Steve's worried voice calls ignoring my protest and walking in anyway. His eyes land on me and immediately he pulls back my hair when I go back for another round of vomit.

By the time I'm done, I'm convinced I have nothing left in my stomach from the past few days. Steve rubs my back comfortingly, whispering soft nonsense that was meant to comfort me. Despite the shaking in my legs, I force myself to stand and softly push Steve's arms off of me. "I-I'm fine." I whisper, making my way to the sink. I lean against the counter as I slowly and thoroughly brush my teeth. I feel like shit. I haven't felt this bad ever since I gotten the stomach flu when I was 12 years old.

"Nat?" Steve's concern voice calls to me. I glance over my shoulder and find him practically hover over me, his eyebrow crease in confusion. Poor guy, I scared him. I know I did. When I finish and rinse out my mouth I feel a lot better than I did 10 minutes ago when I puking my guts out.

Turning around I face Steve and plant my palms against his chest. "I'm fine. Sorry about that. Guess dinner didn't sit well last night."

Steve caresses my hair back and pecks me softly on the lips, his forehead resting against mine. "You don't have to be sorry. Do you not feel well? I can easily tell Bruce to postpone what we have scheduled for another day."

"No, no." I protest. I definitely don't want to give Fury or the others another reason as to not let me in on the battle. "It's okay. It's nothing I cant handle. Come on, we have 20 minutes before we're supposed to meet Bruce."

.

.

The Special Defense level is situated almost down near the dungeons. It's a beehive of rooms full of computers, labs, research equipment and testing ranges.

When we ask for Bruce, we're directed through the maze until we reach an enormous plate- glass window. Inside is the first beautiful thing I've seen in this helicarrier; a relocation of a meadow, filled with real trees and flowering plants, and alive with hummingbirds. Bruce stands motionless at the center of the meadow, watching a spring- green bird hover in midair as it sips nectar from a large orange blossom. His eyes follow the bird as it darts away, and he catches sight of us. He gives a friendly wave for us to join him inside.

The air's cool and breathable, not humid and muggy as I'd expected. From all sides comes the whir of tiny wings, which I used to confuse with the sounds to insects in our woods at home. I have to wonder what sort of fluke allowed such a pleasing place to be built here.

Bruce still has the pallor of someone in convalescence, but behind those ill- fitting glasses, his eyes are alight with excitement. "Arent they magnificent? Thirteen has been studying their aerodynamics here for years. Forward and backward flight and speeds up to sixty miles per hour. If only I could build you something with that sort of speed Natasha!"

"Doubt I could manage them Bruce." I laugh.

"Here one second, gone the next. Can you bring a hummingbird down with a shot?" He asks.

"I've never tried. Not much meat on them." I answer.

"No. And your not one to kill for sport." He says. "I bet they'd be hard to shoot, though."

"You could snare them maybe," says a voice from behind the three of us. I turn and a smile instantly spreads across my face as I see Brayden leaning against the glass. A bow is slung across his body with a sheath of arrows laying at his feet.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him walking over to him. He meets me halfway.

He shrugs, "I had to get my respected weapon. I couldn't be defenseless in the battle."

I feel all the color drain out of my face and my arms become weak. "… Y-Your fighting?" I stutter. I can handle myself just fine and with me there I can protect Steve if he needs me, but I cant protect Brayden. He may be fine, but what if something happens.

"Don't give me that look." He says shaking his head and playfully punching me. "Of course I am. I'm not going to let you go in without me."

"But-" I start, but he interrupts me.

"No buts. I'm fighting. If Rogers can fight, than so can I." Brayden passes by me and goes to stand beside Steve and Bruce who haven't moved from their spot. He continues what he was previously saying as if our separate conversation didn't happen. "You could snare them. Take a net with a very fine mesh. Enclose an area and leave a mouth of a couple square feet. Bait the inside with nectar flowers. While they're feeding, snap the mouth shut. They'd fly away from the noise, but only encounter the far side of the net."

"Would that work?" Bruce asks pulling out a notepad from seemingly thin air.

"I don't know. Just an idea." Brayden replies. "They might outsmart it."

"They might." Bruce agrees. "But you're playing on their natural instincts to flee danger. Thinking like your prey… that's where you find their vulnerabilities."

We were all acting in self- defense when it came to the games. We all watched as other tributes were killed off and it wasn't our fault. It was just instinct.

Suddenly I want to leave the hummingbird room before somebody starts setting up a snare. "Bruce, you had something for us?"

"Right. I do. Your new shield," he tells Steve than turns to me. "And your tasers, and guns." Bruce walks out of the room with us following. As we follow him through the twists and turns of Special Defense he asks, "How are the others doing?"

"What do you mean?" Steve inquires.

"How are they now that they're… respective other is gone?" Steve and I both noted the hesitation in his voice, but we never called him out on it. I forgot to ask how everyone was. They all lost someone, except for me. They must be going through a difficult time at the moment and yet here I am, thinking about weapons and killing Snow off because I still have my respective other.

I may not have noticed, but Steve sure has. "Tony's… not handling it well. He's turned to inventing things to help with the pain. Thor is moping around, but he seems better than Tony. He even tries to get him out of the lab, but to no avail. Clint is, not surprising, hiding from his feelings and has been in the GYM since our debrief and after dinner. "

"They're going to be okay… once this whole thing is over and Snow is killed. I know I will." Bruce says, a sad tone in his voice.

Looking up at him, I find him holding back tears. Most likely he's thinking of Betty and how she perished. I reach a hand out to put on his shoulder, "How are you doing Bruce?"

"Like I said…" He starts. "I'll be okay when this is over." He offers nothing else about himself. "Hey Steve, would you tell the rest when you see them, that I've been working on a few things for them. A bow and arrow for Clint, a designated hammer for Thor and something extra special for Tony since Pepper was his best friend since they were children. And she was one of the only people that never left him. Something to distract them all a little." Distraction seems to be the last thing the other needs, but I promise to pass on the message.

Four soldiers guard the entrance to the hall marked Special Weaponry. We have to have hand print, retinal and DNA scans and have to step through the special metal detectors. I find the whole thing bizarre because I cant imagine anyone raised in District 13 being a threat the government would have to guard against. Have these precautions been put in place because of the recent influx of immigrants?

At the door of them armory, we encounter a second round of identification checks- as if my DNA might have changed in the time it took to walk twenty yards down the hallway- and are finally allowed to enter the weapons collections. I have to admit the arsenal takes my breath away. Row upon row of firearms, launchers, explosives, armored vehicles. "Of course, the Airborne Division is housed separately." Bruce tells us.

"Of course," I reply as if this would be self- evident. I don't know where any simple gun could be in all this high- tech equipment, but then we come upon a wall of deadly weapons. Large pistols, grenades, tasers, electrical whips, guns and any form of weapon you could think of. I've played a lot of the Capitol's weapons in training, but none designed for military combat. I focus my attention on a small, yet lethal looking gun.

"I'll be right back." Bruce says. He presses a code into a panel and a small doorway opens. I watch until he's disappeared and the door's shut. I turn to look at Brayden who was currently inspecting his bow. He hefts it onto his shoulder and points it around the room, peering into the scope.

"That doesn't seem very fair to the deer," I say.

"Wouldn't be using it on deer, wouldn't I?" He answers.

"So it'd be easy for you? Using that on people?" I ask.

"I didn't say that." Brayden drops the bow to his side. "But if I'd had a weapon that could've stopped what I saw happen in Twelve…. If I'd had a weapon that could've kept you out of the arena… I'd have use it."

"Me too." I admit. But I don't know what to tell him about the aftermath of killing a person. About how they never leave you.

"Captain Rogers," I heard someone say and I turn to see Steve and Maria begin to talk in hush voices. Brayden looks that way too and leans into me, whispering,

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out." Walking past him, I walk to Steve's side and that's when Maria glances back at me. When she sees me standing there, she leans back and makes eye contact with Steve. Steve takes a quick look at me before nodding at her.

She forces a smile onto her face, "We'll talk later Captain."

"Have a good day Agent Hill." He says, a slight strain on his voice.

She nods her goodbye and looks at me, "Ms. Romanoff," before walking off.

Steve stares off after her and it's when I talk to him that he looks down at me. "What was that about?"

"What was what?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrow.

"That," I motion between the departing Maria Hill and him. "conversation you were having with her. It looked serious with the way you two leaned in close to each other while whispering."

Steve nods his head, a smile coming onto his face. "Oh that?" I nod. "It was nothing. Don't worry about." Now that he said don't worry about it, I worry. I want to press him harder on the subject the entrance of Bruce interrupts me.

"Natasha!" He calls over placing two large briefcases on a nearby table. I sigh in aggravation before smiling sweetly and going to Bruce's side, Steve following. He's hiding something and I intend to find out soon. "For you." He says motioning to the brief case. I undo the latches along one side. The top opens on silent hinges. Inside the case, on a bed of crushed maroon velvet, lies a black, shiny gun with a leathered stripped covering it. And in the corners of the case are two tasers and two things I have no idea what they are. I carefully lift the gun into the air and take the gun holder off to admire it's elegant design. There's something engraved in the side of it, and it's written in Russian. 'Положить конец этой войне.'

"End this war." I read aloud and I hear a gasp behind me. I turn to find Steve staring at me with a proud smile.

"You speak Russian."

"Of course she does!" Bruce answers before I can. I frown. How can he know? He believed the fake pregnancy story, so how can he know I'm Russian and I speak Russian.

"How do you know?" I ask him a little more hotly than intended.

He doesn't seemed faze by my tone, he merely shrugs. "You have a file here, like everyone else. We all had to go through each other files to learn what he can about our teammates. Since we are a team now."

So not only does he know about me, but the others do as well. What was in that file? I mentally remind myself to ask Fury to see my file later. Shrugging I turn back to my gun when I start to feel it vibrate in my hands. Woah. There's something else. I have to hold very still to make sure I'm not imagining it. No, the gun is alive in my hands. I press it against my cheek and feel the slight hum travel through the bones of my face. "What's it doing?" I ask

"Saying hello." Bruce explains with a grin. "It heard your voice."

"It recognizes my voice?" I ask.

"_Only_ your voice. And so do the tasers and Widow bites." Bruce says pointing at the others in the case. "you see, they wanted me and Tony to design a gun and other weapons purely on looks. As part of your costume, you know? But Tony and I got to thinking, _what a waste? _I mean, what if you do need it sometime? As more than a fashion accessory? So I left the outside simple and left the inside to our imagination. Best explained in practice though. And you Steve, here's yours. Freshly painted and clean." Bruce says pushing the briefcase across the table to his. I watch as Steve takes his time to open the case and once he does, the thing that lays inside takes my breath away.

A round, huge, metallic shield lays face up with a large white star smack dap in the middle of it. It's surrounded by red and blue strips and the design on the shield reminds me of the American flag. Sure I do laugh a little, but only because of the design and how ironic it is. Steve is all for America and is a true golden boy.

"Thanks Bruce." He says after smiling down at the shield for a minute.

"Test it out." Bruce urges.

Steve grabs the straps of the shield and hoists it up on his arm. He turns his side and inspects the shield and while he's doing that, I cant help, but think how hot he looks right. Carrying the shield. What would make this even sexier and better if he were wearing a suit.

"Oh and Steve, your suit arrived. Coulson dry cleaned it and Maria added a few things to it, altering it to your sizes."

'_Wow, God loves me today.'_

Bruce pulls out a garment bag and Steve grabs it from him before I can. Because he knows I'll grab it and open it the minute it's in my hand. I playfully frown at him, and he shakes his head laughing. I'll open it when we get back to our room.

.

.

I'm in good spirits when Steve and I get back to our room after lunch. I had to leave my weapons in Special Defense since weapons aren't a loud in our rooms. They're afraid we'll go AWOL and use their own weapons against them. But it's no fair because Steve got to keep his shield. Oh well, at least I'll get to use those bad boys when the real battle begins.

I take a seat on the bed and stare up at Steve as he places his brief case, which contained his shield, under the bed. "What did Maria want?" I ask as I suddenly remembered what I wanted to ask him.

"Huh?" He asks looking up at me.

"Maria." I start. "What did she want?"

"What do you mean?" He asks and that's when I start to get annoyed.

"In Special Defense you two were talking in hushed voice and stopped immediately as soon as I came to see what you guys were talking about." I say really slowly as if I'm speaking to a small child.

"Oh that," Steve says rubbing his chin as he stands. "It's nothing. Just information about our latest… mission." He hesitates, turning his back and walking into the bathroom. Mission? What mission?

I stand from his spot and go to join him in the bathroom leaning against the doorway watching him as he takes off his shirt. "What mission?" I ask crossing my arms.

He glances at me before sighing, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "Okay, look Nat. Don't get mad. But the guys and I are going to go on a small mission, to get information that might help us defeat Snow."

I raise an eyebrow. The guys and I? Oh hell no. "The guys and you? Did you guys forget to include me?"

"No I-" Steve starts, but I interrupt him. I'm pissed, how could they forget me like that?

"I'm a part of this team too Steve. I may be a girl, but I can handle myself just fine on a small mission." I glare at him.

"I didn't say that." Steve says turning to face him, hands up in front of him in surrender.

"But you implied that when you clearly forgot to include me in this." I throw my arms down to my side in aggravation. "What? Am I not an important part of this team? Am I easily that disposeable?"

"I didn't say that!" Steve exclaims throwing his arms up in the air. "And don't scold me about this Nat. I didn't set this up."

"Who did?" I ask wanting to know whose responsible for this. I'm not going to be used as an actress and damsel in distress while the guys do all the rescuing. I absolutely refuse.

"Fury." Steve says wearily, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. I'm out the door before Steve can stop me. "Nat wait!"

.

.

"What the hell?" I erupt as soon as I enter his office.

"Romanoff-" Fury starts, his back turned to me, but his voice giving away that he knows the reason why I'm here. But I don't let him continue,

"I'm not just some damn girl Fury. I can fight and I want in on the mission the guys are going on."

"No." He simply says without any reasoning.

"What the fuck not!?" I seethe in angry staring at the man in front of me who still hasn't turn around.

"Because your needed here." He says before turning around and settling me with a cold stare. "You have a propo schedule at the same time the boys' plane takes off. Your needed here."

"Reschedule it!" I demand.

"No. You promised to do your part as the Black Widow and rescheduling propo was not part of the deal. You promised to do as I say if I continued to abide by your rules which I am. So you will continue to obey my rules since I have not broken any of your conditions. Do I make myself clear?"

"But I-"

"But nothing. Your staying here and that's final. Captain Rogers and the team will be back by the time your shooting is over. _Do I make myself clear_?"

My hands start to involuntarily close in by my sides and Fury seems to see that from his peripherals. "Strangling me isn't going to help. Now get out of here." He dismisses me turning his chair around and resuming what he was doing before. Nothing.

"Ugh!" I storm out of his room and debate on going back to my room or somewhere completely different and alone, just to clear my head. The latter wins out and I find myself wandering around the building. I don't know how long time has passed, but I've made it to a closet in the Education Center. Which is great because no one uses it. I opening the door, I swiftly walk in and slam the door shut. My legs give out immediately and I curl up against a crate of chalk.

"This is bullshit."


	25. Chapter 25

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 25**

I'm in good spirits by the time I get back to my prep team. I sit patiently through the rest of the time which is a painful job and don my costume, which now includes a bloody bandage over the scar on my arm to indicate I've been in recent combat. Venia affixes my dad's ring on my ring finger. I take up my guns that Bruce and Tony made for just the propos. Then we're out on the soundstage where I seem to stand for hours while they adjust makeup and lighting and smoke levels. Eventually the commands coming via intercom from the invisible people in the mysterious glassed-in booth become fewer and fewer. Fulvia and Plutarch spend more time studying and less time adjusting me. Finally, there's quiet.

Then Plutarch says, "I think that does it."

I'm beckoned over to a monitor. They play back the last few minutes of taping and I watch the woman on the screen. Her body seems larger in the stature, more imposing than mine. Her face smudged, but sexy. Her brows black and drawn in an angle of defiance. Wisps of smoke- suggesting she has either just been extinguished or is about to burst into flames- rise from her clothes. I do not know who this person is.

Venia comes up behind me and with a bit of humor tells me, "They'll either want to kill you, kiss you or be you." She places a light kiss on my cheek and fixes my hair before scurrying off the stage.

Tomorrow we'll focus on speeches and interviews and have me pretend to be rebels in battles. Today they want just open slogan, just one line that they can work into a short propo to show Fury.

"People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!"

That's the line. I can tell by the way they present that they've spent months working on it and are really proud of it. I cant imagine myself actually saying it in real life- unless I was using a Capitol accent and making fun of it. I would've never agreed to this if I was going to be dressed around and paraded like a dancing monkey. I'm hustled back to my place and the smoke machine kicks in. Someone calls for quiet, the cameras start rolling and I hear "Action!"

So I hold my gun over my head and yell with al the anger I can muster, "_People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!"_

There's dead silence on the set. It goes on and on. Finally the intercom crackles and Haymitch's acerbic laugh fills the studio. "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies."

.

.

We gather around the huge table in Command. Fury, Maria and Coulson sit at the head. At last minute, and like Fury said, the rest of my so called team comes in. Steve, Bruce, Tony, Clint and Thor. I promptly ignore all of them, even Steve and stare straight ahead. I'm pissed at him too. I make sure I sit in between Maria and Phil, leaving no room for Steve to sit near me.

It's Haymitch who welcomes everyone and by his words I understand that they come at his personal invitation. This is the first time we've been in a room together since we said goodbye the day before we were launched into the room. I avoid looking at him directly knowing that he too was one of the people who lied to me. But I catch a glimpse of his reflection in one of the shiny control consoles along the wall. He looks slightly yellow and has lost a lot of weight, giving him a shrunken appearance. For a second I'm afraid he's dying, then I have to remind myself that I don't care.

The first thing Haymitch does is show the footage we've just shot. I seem to have reached some new low under Plutarch and Effie's guidance. Both my voice and body have a jerk, disjointed quality. When it's over, the room is silent and I find myself shrinking into myself and avoiding the stares from around the room. It was terrible, I know, but what did they expect me from? I'm not an actress. I didn't want any of this. I just wanted to fight. "Okay." Haymitch speaks after a few minutes of awkward silence. He stands from his seat and begins to pace back and forth. "I want everyone to think of one incident where Natasha Romanoff genuinely moved you. Not where Steve or Coulson or anyone made you feel jealous of her. But she made you like her.

Quiet stretches out and I'm beginning to think it will never end, when Tony speaks up, "When she took Peggy, Bruce and Betty on as an ally even though she knew that they were injured."

Octavia speaks up, "When she sang that song for little Peggy."

"Who didn't get choked up at that?" Haymitch says as he writes the two things down on a list he had begun.

The moments begin to come thick and fast and in no particular order. When I extended my hand to James on interview night. When I promised to take Thor and Bruce on as allies. When I comforted Bruce while in his hulk form. And again and again, when I told Steve that I needed him after he admitted to me that no one needs him. It meant different things to people; love, refusal to lose him to the games and defiance of the Capitol's inhumanity.

"Now that we have this hefty list, what do they all have in common?"

"No one told her what to do." Steve says from behind me.

"They were hers." Tony adds in.

Bruce snaps his fingers as if he just figured it out, "Unscripted yes!" He reaches over and pats my hand. "So we should just leave you alone, right?"

People laugh and I even smile a little.

"So what are you suggesting? Throw her in the middle of battle?" Fury asks, the first time he has spoken since entering this room.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" Haymitch says excitedly, happy that we finally see his point. "Put her out in the open and just keep the cameras rolling."

"But people think she's pregnant." Clint counters.

An idea comes to mind and I'm on my feet, all for sending me out in the open. At least I'll be able to fight. "I'll tell them I lost the baby in the arena. They'd believe me. I'm going in. I cant be coached into this, anyone who's tried knows this by now. You'll never get a real reaction out of me unless I do it myself. With no lines."

"We cant guarantee your safety when you're out there." Maria warns.

I shake my head, "You'll never able to guarantee my safety. I'm a target to everyone, I'm always going to be in danger. So it wont matter."

"It will if you're killed." Fury says, raising an eyebrow. "What happens then?"

"Make sure you get it on camera. You can use that." I answer ignoring the pointed look I know Steve is giving me.

"Fine." Fury says finally after minutes of silence. "But I want to put you in the district with the least danger."

"District One." Coulson says immediately. "There was heavy bombing last week." Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Tony straighten up in his chair and lean forward with more enthusiasm. I also notice the small smile on his face. Instantly, my mind spirals back to the conversation I heard on the hovercraft when I first woke up after the games…

"_No I'm sorry. There is no way I can get you to One. But I've given special orders for her retrieval if possible. It's the best I can do, Tony."_

Plutarch and Tony were talking about someone, a girl, who's in One.

Pepper.

Wake up Romanoff, Pepper's dead. That cant be who Tony and Plutarch were talking about. Then who? Does Tony want to get Pepper's body to bring to district 13? Or is he talking about someone else?

I make makes a mental note to ask Tony of this later.

"Fine, right after lunch, you're going. End of discussion. Dismissed." Fury says as he stands and leaves without another word, Maria and Coulson following closely behind him.

A large smile spreads across my face and when I turn around I face Steve. He's frowning at me, but his frown won't dampen my mood. "Natasha," He starts. "I don't think this is a good-"

"Hey." I snap my smile dropping. "You've kept me out of this fight long enough. I'm going to be a part of this time. I will fight. No one is going to be protecting me from anything." I look behind him at the four others who are waiting for Steve. "None of you are going to stop me."

Tony raises his hands up in surrender, "Wasn't planning on it. Promise."

"Good." I turn to Steve. "Now you can either stay here while we go to 1 or join us. Either way I'm going."

I can see Steve having an internal battle with himself, but eventually in the end he nods in reluctantly. "Fine. I'm coming, but we're all going to be armed. Fury will be airborne and in contact with us." Steve turns to look at my prep team who seemed to have gathered behind me. "And wash her face, she's still a girl. You're making her look like she's 35."

"Yes Captain Rogers." Venia says bowing.

I smirk at the name. "Captain Rogers?" I ask him, cocking an eyebrow in his direction.

He shrugs smiling, "Comes with the suit. I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

Nodding, I reach up and press my lips against his. "See you soon." I whisper pulling away and leading my prep team out of the command room.

.

.

Everyone gathers at a smaller hovercraft after dinner.

I see Steve talking to the team, sans Tony who's whispering to Plutarch. He looks ecstatic, but Plutarch looks troubled. I change my course of direction and head straight for Tony. I slow my steps when I can hear their conversation.

"I don't think it's a good idea Tony."

"Please, I can't leave her in one." Tony begs, his smiling faltering.

Plutarch sighs, "Fury will not be okay with this."

"Screw Fury and his rules." Tony throws his arms in the air. "You heard Steve, we will be able to extract her and have Nat shot some propos . We will have spare time left over. He's pretty sure they're won't be any casualties and we'll have room on the helicarrier for her. Even with the camera crew." Tony's tone turns desperate. "This is important, I can't leave her. If you continue to say no to me I'll just do it anyway and I wont come back with the team."

"I…" Plutarch sighs heavily and runs a hand over his head. "Fine, we cant afford to lose you. But she won't be staying in your quarters."

"Where else can she stay?" Tony demands. "I'm the only one she knows here. Her family's dead."

I wasn't looking where I was going and flinch when I step on a metal rod. I yelp out in surprise and pain. Tony's and Plutarch's heads snap towards me and my eyes widen when I realizes that I was caught eavesdropping. I feel my cheeks get hot and I know I'm blushing. Plutarch clears this throat, takes a step back from Tony and nods at me. "Natasha." He shares a look with Tony before walking away.

Tony's eyes stay on me. Sighing, I walk over to stand in front of him. He crosses his arms, and nods his head. "Go ahead. Ask."

"Who are you talking about? Who's in 1 right now that you need to get?"

Tony glances around before leaning in closer to me and whispering in my ear. "Only you Steve and Plutarch know about her. I tried to keep her out of the Capitol's radar because she's important to me and Pepper."

"She? Who's she?"

Tony sighs and takes another step closer. Normally I would repel at his closeness because of his smug personality and playboy attitude. Only he's being serious right now which is rare when you know Tony Stark. I stare straight ahead, over Tony's shoulder. "Pepper's little sister, Gwen." Tony takes a step back, but I still feel like I can't breathe. I didn't know Pepper had a little sister and judging from what Tony said earlier, she doesn't have a family anymore.

"What happened to Pepper's parents? You said she had no one, but you." I look up at him and can't help, but feel bad for him. His shoulders slump in defeat and Tony looks about a hundred years old.

"Snow killed them, years ago. It's just been Pepper and Gwen, they were all each other had. When Pepper was 12 and I was 14, Gwen was just a little baby at the time, peacekeepers came into one. New ones, stricter ones."

I hold a hand out to him stopping him. He didn't need to continue, I already knew all about that. New peacekeepers are a bad thing. A lot of people die around their arrival if you're in their way. The people are stayed in their houses that day are lucky, others aren't. "How old is she?"

"5. She's being watched by the neighbors since Pepper and I were both choosen at the reaping, but there were reports that there were bombings just recently. I don't know if she's dead or not. Gwen meant the world to Pepper which means that little girl means the world to me and I need to find her and bring her back with me."

The way Tony talks about this little girl reminds me of the way I talk about Aiden. I love my brother to pieces so I can sympathize with Tony about wanting to protect her. My heart wrenches in my chest when I see the broken look in his eyes. I won't let anyone suffer anymore at the hands of Snow. Tony already lost his family and Pepper; I'm not going to allow him to lose the little girl. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I make him look me in the eye. "I'll help you find her."

Tony sighs, "Nat you can't. You're going to be busy shooting the propos, but I appreciate the offer."

"I know what you're going through Tony. I understand how much you feel for Gwen, it's the same with Aiden. You would do the same if it were Aiden in district 12." Tony opens his mouth to protest, but ends up closing it. He would help me. "A lot of people are dying for me. I'll be damned if I let Gwen do the same."

Tony smiles up at me gratefully. "Thank you." He whispers. "It means a lot to Pepper and I." I open my mouth to reply, but a bell rings signaling for us to get on the hovercraft. "I'll be back, I need to suit up." I nod and watch Tony run away towards the back of the jet.

Turning, I walk to the hovercraft and mount the stairs. When I walk inside I find it packed with the television crew and equipment. Everyone, besides my team, is dressed in SHIELD's black, cat suits. Clint and I are dressed almost identical to the suits, but ours is different in style and allows us easily holster and take out weapons of all kinds. Clint shoulders a sheath of arrows and a bow and I find every weapon of choice when I reach into my battle. I didn't even realize how full my belt was considering it feels like it weights nothing. Bruce is wearing normal civilian clothes because he doesn't need a suit of armor since his body was the armor. Steve is wearing a spandex suit colored in the colors of our American flag. I laughed for five minutes straight when I saw him in it for the first time. Thor wears a red cape with a metallic suit that covers everything except his arms, neck and face.

Just before takeoff Tony runs onto the hovercraft and takes a seat next to me. Tony's outfit I couldn't quite figure out. It was suit of iron with a blue circle glowing in the middle of his chest. When I asked about it, he called it an arc reactor and told me it powered it suit and kept him alive. The shrapnel from the arena, after it blew out, entered his body and threatened to kill him if it reached his heart. The arc reactor keeps the shrapnel from doing that. Tony loses me when he adds scientific terms to the explanation, but I nodded anyway and changed the subject. His suit still confused me. Everyone calls him Iron Man.

There's a warning of the upcoming takeoff and we all trap ourselves in. Coulson tries to lay it out in simple terms for me. First of all, every district is currently at war with the Capitol, except 2.

District 2 has always had a strong, loyal relationship with the Capitol, despite their participation in the Hunger Games as well. They get more food and better living conditions all because they house the Capitol's new center of defense. They're military facilities.

Our plan is to take over the districts one by one, ending with 2, which will then cut off the Capitol's supply chain. The Capitol is weak without the districts and once we have the advantage, we'll invade. The Avengers.

"What happens if we win?" I ask when he finishes explaining. "Who governs then?"

It's Fury that answers instead of Coulson. "Everyone. Each district will vote on a representative to voice their opinion."

"And if we lose?" Steve asks.

Fury looks out the window, his hands clasp tightly behind his back. "Then I expect next year's hunger games to be truly unforgettable. Which reminds me…" Fury nods to Coulson and he produces six small capsules and six small ear pieces.

Coulson passes each team member one capsule and one ear, stopping in front of me to personally place mine in my breast pocket and ear. "We named them _Widow Bites _in your honor Natasha. We can't afford any one of us to be captured, it'll be completely painless. The ear pieces are called comms, we'll use them to communicate with you guys on the field since we'll be airborne."

Before I can respond, the hovercraft makes a quick, spiral descent onto a wide road on the outskirts of district 1. The team and I are on our feet and the door opens immediately. The team and I are rushed out and as soon as the last member is out the equipment retracts. The craft lifts and vanishes into the sky.


	26. Chapter 26

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 26**

District 1 is in ruins. It doesn't look like the immaculate district that was always flaunted about on Capitol TV. There is no justice building

While the others busy themselves with prepping the cameras, I walk over to Tony and smirk at him. "What's with the iron suit?" I tease him.

Tony's faceplate lifts up and now that I can see him, he's rolling his eyes at me. "Everyone gets a suit during battle, I figured I should be able to create mine." My eyes widen. He made this? This metal suit? "Besides I really didn't want to walk around in spandex." He says pointing to Steve whose back is turned towards us giving us a great view of his ass. That suit is doing wonders to his body.

I smile subconscious and when Tony smiles knowingly at me, I drop it replacing it with a frown. I see Tony glance at the others and the towns part of the district before a troubled look crosses his face. Gwen crosses my mind and I know he's dying to go and find her. "Where is she?"

Tony looks over at me, "Down that trail, eighth house on the right."

Biting my lips, I glance over at Steve to see his attention is directed somewhere else and not on me. "Let's go." I said grabbing his hand and steering him away from the others, but he stays in place not even budging.

"No Nat, you cant go. You're needed here."

Rolling my eyes and I huff out in annoyance and turn back to face him. "They're getting the stuff ready. It'll take us 10 minutes tops to grab her and get back here."

Tony's face slumps into a dead emotion, "I don't even know if she's at the house or not. I'm only hoping."

I open my mouth to encourage him forward. Surely hoping she's there is better than not knowing where she is at all. We have to start with what we know and work our way up from there. But I'm cut off when Steve calls me forward. Sighing, I look at Tony and give him a stern look. "Don't go without me. This is will take a few minutes." I don't give him time to respond before I walk away. Walking up to Steve, he gives me a reassuring smile. "I really don't want to do this." I mutter to him as we make our way to the cameras.

"I know being on camera isn't really your thing-" Steve starts, but I cut him off.

"No it's not Steve." I stop walking and so does he. I take a step so I can stand in front of him and look up at him. Why does he have to be so damn tall? "I didn't volunteer to be the Black Widow so I can dance in front of a camera all day Steve." He sighs and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "I did it so I can fight." I gesture to the cameras, "This isn't me and you know it's not."

"But you're the reason majority of the people in other districts are fighting. They're looking up to you Nat."

Getting irritated, I throw my arms up in the air, "Like I said before, I don't want anyone look up to me!" I yell exasperated. Heads turn to stare at us and Steve motions for me to lower my voice. Growling, I step closer to him and lean towards his ear. "When people look up to me, they end up dying. Sif, Betty, Pepper, Bobbi." I can't help the lone tear that escapes and makes it way down my cheek. "Little 12 year old Peggy."

Steve stares at me, remorse and sorrow in his blue orbs. He reaches up and runs his thumb along my cheekbone capturing the tear before it can fall. "You give people hope. You're not destructive Natasha."

To avoid anymore tears, I sniffle and run my hand below my nose. "It doesn't feel like it when people die for me."

Steve and I were too caught up in our discussion to even notice Clint walk up to us. Stopping in front of us, he gives me a look, obviously hearing everything. "You're the reason they want to fight. They don't want to live a life like this anymore. You haven't hurt anyone Natasha."

"I just wished none of this happened. I wished I went into the arena and died like I was supposed." I can see Steve tense out of the corner of my eye, but pay no attention to him. "Everyone else would still be safe."

Tony walks up at that exact moment to put his input. "Safe to do what? To starve?"

It seems the rest of the team got the memo of a team meeting because they all come up to join us. I scowl at all of them because they were eavesdropping on my conversation. Bruce and Thor at least have the dignity to look ashamed whereas Clint and Tony just look smug. "Work like slaves?" Thor butts in.

"Send their children to the reaping?" Bruce finishes. "There's already been talk in all the districts, people want to fight. They just didn't have the right push in the direction in order to make a move."

Clint brightens, "Don't you see it? It's happening! It's finally happening. This is it Natasha, this is the thing we've been waiting 75 years for. And we cant do it without you."

Natasha crosses her arms across her chest. "And people need the encouragement of a young 16 year old girl flaunting herself around on camera?"

The team look at each other for a second before meeting her eyes. "Yes."

"Since that particular 16 year old girl suffered pain personally at the hands of the Capitol. Age is but a number, it's the experience of what the person goes through that counts. And you've had a lot of experience with the Capitol. I'm sure no one hates the Capitol as much as you do." I cant help, but shrug in agreement. I do want this to end.

Steve slips behind me and places one hand on my waist and the other on my shoulder, he leans in closer. "People have to make sacrifices Nat in order to win a war. Either the sacrifice involves their life, Peggy for example, or their dignity, you. " Every laughs at that comment and I can't help, but smile. "All you have to do is get on camera and broadcast to everyone that you're alive and kicking and will do everything in your power to bring down the Capitol."

I suddenly panic. I can promise people something that I might not be able to deliver. I can't give false hope if I'm going to portraying any kind of hope. Turning around, I grip Steve's wrist tightly in my hand. "I cant do that Steve. I can promise them something that might not happen."

Steve only smiles down at me, loosening my grip on his hand. "I'm not saying to promise anything, you can't promise anything that you can't deliver." He says reassuringly. "I'm just saying instill some faith and trust into the nation. Cause that's the only thing that's going to help everyone through this terrible time."

"You have to have the bad times before you can experience the good times which for us will be after this war is over." Bruce says nudging my shoulder making me smile. It's rare that I ever see the scientist crack a joke or give a cheesy phrase and when he does, it's super lame that I can't help, but laugh.

But my smile is immediately replaced with a frown. There's no guarantee that we'll win. What happens if we don't? "That's only if we win." I point out to Bruce.

"Do not fret Lady Natasha. Don't become such a pessimist." Thor laughs heartily before slamming his hand on my other shoulder. I know he doesn't mean to be so harsh when it comes to giving affection. Still I can't help, but wince and Steve has to brush Thor's hand away for me.

"Agent Romanoff." I'm still getting use to the new title Fury had given me that I don't respond right away. Steve has to nudge me in order for me to respond when someone calls my name again. "Agent Romanoff." Fulvia is waving me over. They're ready for me.

Tony smiles at me "Go look pretty in front of the camera Romanoff."

I glare at him before stomping away. Fulvia grabs my arm when I'm in arms length and positions me in front of the biggest camera. "Now Natasha, since we're in district one they have a hospital here. We're going to go visit the survivors of the bombings and the wounded. Are you ready for that?" No. No I'm not. I can barely handle a small scrape that only needs a bandage. I don't think I can be in a room full of wounded people without vomiting. I'm about to say no when someone comes up behind me and grabs my hand. I look up and find Steve. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, silently telling me that he's going to be there. That I'm not alone. I let a breath I didn't even know I was holding and raise an eyebrow up at him. He nods. Sighing, I turn back to Fulvia and slowly nod my head twice. She smiles at me, "Lead the way Captain." She says talking to Steve.

Steve looks down at me and smiles before pulling me along, the others following. He leans down and whispers in my ear as we walk, "When you're mother sees this footage we're going to get, she'll be so proud of you."

I snort, "Why, cause I won't throw up or run away?"

Steve laughs at my dry humor, "No because of what kind of hope is expressed when people just see you."

I look up at him, "I doubt she'll be focused on me. Aiden and her will be too appalled at the condition these people will be in. Is it like this in every district?"

"Unfortunately," Steve sighs, his shoulders sagging in defeat, "Yes, except worse. District 1 is lucky since they were the Capitol's favorite, along with 2. They actually have the supplies available for the wounded; others are struggling to find clean bandages to just wrap a gunshot wound. Here they actually have a hospital, others take refuge in the biggest building they have and bring all the wounded and dead there for the time being."

I crease my eyebrow in concern, "Isnt it bad to have the entire wounded and dead in one place?"

Steve shrugs, "It's what they've got. You have another option, I'm sure they'd be eager to listen, but right now we're in the middle of a war and resources are scarce as it is, even in the Capitol. No one can get anything easily anymore."

Natasha sighs and digs her fingers into her temple to massage the incoming migraine away. "This is all so much."

"I know." Steve leans in and presses his lips against my forehead and pulls my body closer to his as we walk. "It's terrible, but sadly this is life."

"Why does life have to suck?" I know it's childish, I just cant help, but pout.

Steve laughs and is about to respond, but is distracted by something in his comms. Come to think of it, I take note of how I haven't heard Fury, Coulson or Maria once since we landed. Is my broken? I reach my hand up to touch it when Steve suddenly grabs my wrist harsher than normal. The grip on my wrist alarms me and I stare up at him wide eyed. "We have a problem." He announces catching everyone's attention. "The hovercraft just detected incoming bombs from the North heading here from the Capitol."

My eyes widen. Do they know I'm here? How? We did everything possible to ensure no one knew I was here. Guess we didn't try hard enough. I grip Steve's hand tighter, scared for him and for everyone else. "They I'm here, don't they?"

"We're not sure," Steve says grabbing the helmet of my cat suit and pulling it over my head to protect me. "Fury believes this was planned because there is no way they can know you're here. But we need to get you somewhere safe. The hovercraft cant land because then we wouldn't be able to get into the air in time." Steve touches his comm., "Hill where's the nearest safe house?" There's a minute pause when Maria replies to Steve and he nods. "Affirmative. There's a light blue warehouse six down from you. There's a bunker in the north center. Natasha, Fulvia, Banner and the camera crew are to hide down there."

No. Not without Steve. "What about you?" I ask, cursing myself when I can practically hear the shaking in my voice. "You're not leaving me there unless you're staying with me."

Steve sighs, "Natasha I'm needed out here. Stark, Thor you've got the air. Watch and alert us when you sense them getting closer. Try your hardest to keep the bombs from hitting the ground."

"Yes sir." Tony gives me a small salute before taking flight. Thor nods before swinging his large hammer around and taking to the air as well. I watch in amazement as these two fly around expertly. I almost don't notice Steve give Clint his orders.

"Barton, take the roof. I want your eyes on everything, call out strays. Take some out as you do that, will you?"

Barton looks up expectantly, "Stark I could use a ride."

"Hold you're horses Katniss, I'm coming." Clint rolls his eyes at the nickname Tony gave him and opened his arms, waiting patiently for him. Less than five seconds later, Tony lands and wraps his arms around Clint's waist. "Clench up." He says before taking flight again, Clint in tow.

Steve turns to Bruce who had come to stand beside me. "We won't be needed the hulk today Dr. Banner. Unless I say otherwise, you're to stay with Natasha and keep her protected."

"I don't need to be protected!" I yell infuriated. Who was he to tell me to stay away from the fight? "I want to fight!"

"You can't because no one knows you're here!" Steve yells back at me. "Look Natasha, don't argue with me right now. It's not the time. I promise you can fight in the next battle, but you can't now. Everyone in the Capitol is targeting you; you're at a great risk right now. If they spot you, you're dead. Go with Bruce, please." He begs me and I can see the desperation in his eyes. I want to say no, but I cant. He's scared, not for himself, but for me.

God damn it! I can never say no to him.

"Fine!" I growl out in annoyance. "Fine I'll stay out."

"Thank you." His shoulders slump in relief and he grabs my arm shoving me away. "Go, you need to leave now before the bombs begin. I'll get you when it's over, I promise!" He yells before running away and joining Clint on the rooftop.

I don't walk away immediately, Bruce has to nudge me forward in order to get me running. The group takes off running, the warehouse our destination. We just have to get to there before the hellicarriers come. Right now, there is no immediate danger and the sky is clear. But all that is about to change. When the alarms begin to sound, I chance a glance upward and find Capitol hover planes in a V shaped formation appear above the center of the district. I'm too focused on running that I don't register that the center of the district where the towns homes are built. It's only when we reach the door of the warehouse that I turn around and realize, with a sickening twist in my gut that they're aiming for the people still inside the houses. Since they don't know I'm here, they're gunning for the people that are still alive from the first bombing.

Gwen is in those houses. One of them.


	27. Chapter 27

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 27**

It only takes a second for my brain to catch up with my body and when it does, I'm running.

Ignoring Bruce's pleas and calls, I run as fast and as hard as I can. No, this can't be happening. I promised Tony I'd help him get her. I can't let her die. Not today and not for me. I don't care what Steve told me, I'm not letting this little girl die. Not when I let her sister die.

I watch, my heart pounding in chest and sweat pouring down my face, the first few bombs begin to fall onto the town. "NOOO!" I sprint faster than I've ever ran before. Adrenaline courses through my veins. I dance, whirl and sprint on light feet trying as fast as I can to reach the town before any serious damage can happen. I don't care what happens to me, as long as I get the little girl to safety.

My comm. is unfortunately connected to the others and I hear when Bruce called the others attention to my leaving. Steve was furious, yelling in my ear telling me to go back to Bruce and stop being so fucking stubborn. Clint wasn't as livid, but was obviously startled by my lack of disobedience to Steve. Thor was more concerned for my safety to be mad at me and Tony was, unsurprisingly, silent. He knew what I was doing and he didn't try to stop me or help me. He knew I needed to do this myself without his help because he was needed elsewhere. He only whispered "Thank you" in my ear before getting distracted by the incoming bombs falling from the airborne hellicarriers. Thankfully I had the guys taking out majority of the bombs before they could reach me, but they still weren't enough to stop the vibrating ground beneath me. It made running a lot harder, but I pushed on anyway.

I reached the town homes by the time the third bomb landed, directly above the fifth house on the left. People are screaming and trying to run as fast as their injured bodies alone them too. I cant hear anything except screaming. Think Romanoff, where is Gwen? Where is Gwen? Think! Tony's voice comes into my mind.

Eighth house on the right.

I start shoving people out of my way in my haste to get to Gwen. They shove back in fear and someone even try to grab my hand to take me with them. I struggle against them. "No let me go!"

"Ma'am we have to go or else you'll die."

"Let me go, I have to get my sister!" When the person does, I turn and punch them hard in the face forcing them to let go of my hand. I turn and run without giving him a chance to say something. I pant heavily as I make my way towards the center of town. It seems the hovercrafts were traveling closer to Gwen's location. I sprint faster thinking about a small girl with Pepper's ginger hair and blue eyes. I think about Pepper's smile and her relief at knowing that her sister would be safe. I think about Tony's words.

"_Gwen meant the world to Pepper which means that little girl means the world to me and I need to find her and bring her back with me."_

A bomb lands directly 3 feet away from me. I'm blown off my feet, into the front wall of the house Gwen might be in. There's a searing pain just above the back of my right knee. Something has struck my back as well, but didn't penetrate my suit. I can practically hear my skin festering due to the heat, but I shake it off. I don't pay attention to sore limb and tentatively press weight onto my leg before rushing forward. I can look later; time is my enemy right now.

I pry open the front door and run through the threshold. The house is on fire. One of the previous bombs must have caught something on fire and it slowly spread throughout the house. I began to cough against the fumes, eyes watering painfully. Grabbing the front of my suit, I bring it up to cover my nose thanking whoever was watching me that it was covered in sweat. It offers come concealment and protection. If I breathe in anymore smoke, I'd surely die. I just hope Gwen was smart enough to do the same.

"Gwen!" I call out in hopes of attracting the little girl out of whatever hiding spot she found. "Gwen!" I cough again and make my way inside the house slowly, making sure to step in places where my suit won't catch fire. I need be stealthy and quick about this or else we'll both die in this house. When there was no answer, I try another tactic. "Gwen, my name's Natasha. Natasha Romanoff? I'm a friend of Pepper and Tony. You can trust me. I won't hurt you, I want to help you." No answer. I bite my bottom lip and close my eyes. _Please answer me if you're here. Please. _"Tony's outside waiting for you to come out, do you want to see Tony?"

That seemed to do the trick because suddenly I hear a little baby cry from down the hallway. "Help me! Please help me! TONY!"

Running, ignoring my injured knee, I rush past the first two doors and head towards the third bedroom where the crying is coming. I try to open the closed door, but the hinges are jammed. "Damn it!" I shove my shoulder into the door, it doesn't budge. I try again, but end up with the same result. I need more momentum. I look around to find anything to knock it down, but almost everything was on fire. Letting go of my shirt, I try both hands to turn the knob to no avail.

Sighing, I look behind me to see some room so I can back up. I press my back against the other wall and take one deep breath which I end up coughing furiously afterwards. When I can control the fit, I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. My body tense up in anticipation and I count to three before running. Using all my strength, I ram my shoulder into the door.

The door gives way and falls onto the ground with a huge thud. The sound scares Gwen because she lets out a scream. I look up and find the room empty, but the screaming coming from the side. Near the closest.

I sprint towards the closest and open the doors to find that the small girl had wedged herself in tight. I sigh in relief and slump against the closest door. The adrenaline that was pumping through me seems to evaporate and I find myself becoming weak from the fumes. I raise a hand to touch my comm. because I feel the need to tell Tony that she's here and I have her. "Tony, she's here. She's in the house. I have her right now." Tony's cry of eureka shouts through my comm. making me smile. "I'm bringing her back to you. I promise." Surprisingly, I don't hear Steve shouting at me, but I know I will get it when we get back to 13.

I need to get us out of here. Reaching forward, I call out to her "Gwen?" Her head snaps towards me and I can see the tears running down her small face, her shirt held up to her nose. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you. Tony's waiting outside. Do you want to see him?" She nods her head gratefully and crawls to the opening of the closest. "Are you hurt?" In answer, she holds out her leg where there is a huge burn on her calf. From the looks of it, it looks like a 3rd degree burn.

She looks up at me and cries, "I want Tony!"

"Okay, okay, come on. Let's go see Tony." She can't walk so that means I have to carry her. She reaches towards me and wraps her arms around my neck and, in turn, I place both arms under her knees. She must weigh like 40 pounds, I'm seriously concerned for her weight, but right now I use it to my advantage. She's not too heavy to carry, she's just right. She's wearing a large hoodie, so I grab the hoodie and place it over her head and place her head in my shoulder to keep the fumes from getting to her. When she's secure, I run.

Out into the hallway. Down the last two doors and into the living room. "We're almost there." I promise her when I see the front door in my view. She only continues to cry in my shoulder. Just before I can reach the door, a bomb lands directly on the other side of the road, on the house across from us. The explosion causes me to lose my balance and Gwen and I go down. I use my body to protect her from getting hurt. I scream in agony when I feel my skin getting burned. Looking at my arm, I almost lose it when I see it on fire. Screaming, I crawl away from the fire, Gwen making her way onto my back. Finding a part of the floor that isn't on fire, I roll my arm across the tile floor until the fire is distinguished.

When the fire's gone, I don't chance a peek at my arm because I know if I do, I'll stop running. I'll stop fighting and I can't afford to do that right now. Reaching behind me, I grab Gwen and put in my front of me. I need to be able to see her. "Are you okay?" She looks up at me and nods, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"You're hurt." She says looking down at my arm, eyes widening in horror. If it's as bad as Gwen reacts then I'm making damn sure I won't look until we're out of this house.

"Don't worry about me." She still continues to stare at my arm which I can feel festering from the fire. "Hey, don't look at that." I grab her chin and make her look at me. Her expression breaks my heart and I almost have to look away. "Look at me, I'm fine. I promise. Right now, we have to get you out of here and with Tony."

She grabs my cheeks in my small hands and rests her forehead against mine for a moment. "Thank you." She whispers softly. "Tony." She then continues to whimper in longing for the man in the suit.

"I'm going to get out of here." I look to the front door, but find it completely in flames. Every wall around us is turning to ash. If we don't hurry, this house is going to give away and we're going to go down with it. There is no chance of escaping without Gwen getting hurt. Touching my comm., "Guys I need help. We're trapped. The house is on fire and there is no way to escape." I can hear the pipes in the walls beginning to give way. "This house is about to come down on top of us."

Before Steve can respond, Tony interrupts. "Thor cover for me. I've got to do this." I almost sigh in relief when I hear Tony's suit flying above the house a minute later.

Shaking Gwen's shoulder, she looks up from my shoulder at me. "Tony's here Gwen and he's going to get us out of here. Tony's here."

Her eyes brighten, "Tony's here?"

Tears spring into my eyes and a few end up escaping. "Yes. Yes he's here."

"TONY!" Gwen screams trying to get the inventor's attention. "TONY 'M HERE! 'M HERE!"

"Gwen!" I hear Tony from outside the house. "Natasha stand back." He says into my comm. Grabbing Gwen; I run to the hallway and take cover behind the destroyed couch.

I can hear Tony's suit powering up from outside and a split second later, there's another loud explosion. I hover my body over Gwen's as pieces of wood come flying at us. Gwen screams in fear and it's on instinct that I begin running my hand through her tangled hair. "Ssh, it's alright. It's okay, Tony's coming. Don't be afraid." I finds it kind of hypocritical that I tells Gwen not to be scared, when I'm terrified out of my mind, but I don't know what else I should tell her. Luckily I don't have to dwell on it anymore because Tony flies right past us, grabbing me around my waist along the way. I keep a strong hold on Gwen and allow myself to be taken off the ground. I try not to panic or jump when Tony's grip tightens around my waist. He flies through the large hole he made in the front of house and we're in the air almost instantly. The heat and smoke around us evaporates. My chest lightens immensely when I breathe in fresh air and in relief; I loosen my grip on Gwen and allow her to poke her head out of my chest. She looks up, her tear streaked face peering curiously at Iron Man, unaware that Tony's inside right now.

"T-Tony?" She asks hopefully, a hand coming to rest on the Iron Man helmet.

"Hey kiddo." Tony says from inside the suit. Gwen gasps in surprise and relief when Tony's faceplate slides up to show himself to her.

"You came!" She sobs, her arms going to wrap around his neck.

"Of course I came." He says reassuringly. "I'll always come and find you."

Gwen smiles up at him, but then her expressers turns somber. "Pepper?"

Tony's expression drops as well and his happiness is replaced with grief and sorrow. "I'm sorry Gwen."

"She dead, huh? 'Cause of the games?" Gwen guesses without Tony having to tell her. For being 5 years old, she's a pretty smart girl. I run my hand through her hair to give her some comfort and she turns at the feel of my hands on her hair. "You're her." Her who? She turns back to Tony and points at me excitedly. "Natasha Ro'anoff?" Tony nods his head and she giggles happily. "She put flowers on Pepper and the little girl after that mean man made her sleep forever."

She watched the games? All of it? She saw when Steve and I buried Peggy and Pepper in flowers. What else did she see?

Tony glances over at me before looking at Gwen. "Yeah, that's her sweetie." Before anymore words can be shared, Tony lands gracefully on the outskirts of the district, in a secluded part of the forest where no one can see us. Upon landing, he places Gwen and I on our feet. "I have to go Gwen," Gwen's face slumps in disappointment. The Iron Man hand reaches towards her and with one finger lifts her head. "But I'll be back, I promise. Until I do, I need you to stay with Natasha and listen to everything she tells you. You can trust her." Tony looks over at me and nods at me. "Because I trust her." I smile pride fully; I earned another one of my teammate's trust. He bends down beside her and gives her a big hug. Pulling away, he places a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back." She nods and watches as his faceplate closes and he stands. With a nod towards me, he takes flight immediately heading back towards the fight.

Gwen looks up at me expectantly, running her hands together nervously. "What are we going to do now Ms. Ro'anoff?"

I smile down at her and shake my head at her formalities. "Don't call me Ms. Romanoff. Just call me Natasha, okay?"

She nods, "Okay Natasha." She looks around and then smiles up at me coyly. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Laughing, I bend down beside her, "My, don't you ask a lot of questions. He's with Tony."

"Why aren't you?" She asks me, causing me to pause. It's a good question. Why are the boys playing superhero while the girl sits out? "I think you could do it. Be a hero like 'em."

I raise an eyebrow in her direction, "Really? Why do you think that?"

"Because you're strong." She says matter-of-factly. "You're brave. You're s'art. You can do whatever the boys do."

I smile down at her, "Thank you Gwen." I scoop her up in my arms before standing, "We have to find the others." I start in the direction of the warehouse, avoiding actually going inside the district and leaving the protection of the forest.

"There are 'ore?" She asks surprised.

"Yeah, I left them behind so I can find you." I tell her truthfully.

She blushes and smiles, "Thank you for saving me Natasha."

I shake my head, "Don't worry about it. I have a brother myself so when Tony was telling me about you; I knew I had to find you."

.

.

.

When we all gather up together again, I meet the disproving looks of my team and the enthusiasm of my camera team. "Well done Natasha. That was great. You should've seen the footage we got of you!" One of the cameramen says to me smiling at me.

Footage? How did they get anything if they stayed by the warehouse and I went off on my own?

At my puzzled look, Steve steps forward to explain. "Coulson implanted cameras into suit. Lord knows how he knew, but he had a feeling you'd go off on your own and ignore your orders." He frowns at me, "Sadly, I knew you'd do that to." I shrug, actually feeling a tad bit ashamed of disappointing Steve, but not that much. I feel Gwen beginning to slip from my arms and I take the time to secure my grip more tightly on her. The movement seems to gather Steve's attention from me to her. He looks over at her and his eyes soften understandingly. "However, despite you clearly disobeying orders, you did for a good reason."

I nod, "If I hadn't of gone to save her, she would've died in that house. I wasn't going to let that happen."

Clint raises an eyebrow, "But Nat, how did you know she was in that house? Who is she to you?"

I glance behind Tony and he shrugs at me, giving me the okay to tell. I look around at the team. "She's nothing to me, but she's something to Tony. This is Pepper's sister and ever since leaving the arena, Tony has been trying to find some way to find her and bring her back. He told me right before we left for 1 and I made it my mission to find her. Pepper died for me, I wasn't going to let Gwen do the same."

The team glanced at each other before nodding understandingly. Tony stepped through Steve and Thor to make his way to me. Gwen doesn't release her grip on me; she only reaches a hand out to touch the suit shoulder. "Thank you for saving her Natasha. Pepper would be so happy if she were here."

"It's the least I can do for all she has done for me." I say brushing Gwen's hair away from her face.

I'm too focused on Gwen to even notice the large camera in front of me and Fulvia behind it. "So Natasha," I look up to see the familiar large red dot on. The camera is rolling. I have to keep myself from frowning at the camera. Instead I keep my attention on Gwen. "After everything you've experienced today, is there something you'd like to tell everyone?"

I push back the urge to roll my eyes. Squaring my shoulders, I look away from Gwen to the red dot at the top of the camera lens. All the anger and sorrow and fear that I've felt today and bottled up seem to be coming up almost instantly. I want everyone to know how I felt when running to save Gwen. "I'm in district 1, where the Capitol has just bombed a town full of unarmed men, women and children. There is only one survivor." I look over at Gwen and hold her tighter. She just buries her head deeper into my shoulder, trying to shy away from the camera. I kiss her forehead before loosening her grip on my neck and passing her off to Tony who gladly takes her. I turn back to the camera and give it my best death glare. "If you think, for one second, that the Capitol will ever treat us fairly, you are lying to yourself. You know what they are and what they do." I throw my arms up in anger and point directly behind me where smoke is rising from the destruction of the town. "This is what they are and what they do!" I shout, my body visibly shaking in fury. Steve steps up to grab my hand and offer some comfort, but I turn away from him. Fury and Steve wanted this to be real… this will be real.

My eyes catch sight of a damaged Capitol plane with Steve's shield embedded into it, I smile. I find the second cameraman right behind me and I glare daggers at his camera. "I have a message for President Snow… You can torture us, and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground." Smirking mischievously, I point at the plane and the first cameraman follows my finger. "But do you see that?" I laugh happily, although to others it sounds menacing and full of malice. "The Black Widow isn't afraid to bite and the Avengers are ready for you! If you assemble your forces, WE ASSEMBLE OURS!" I scream, my voice echoing throughout eerie silence. Fulvia doesn't even call cut when the red dot turns off and no one makes a sound, but no one needs to. I look back at the town and can feel my face fall when the last building falls to the ground. Tears spring in my eyes.

This is what my home looks like right now. Nothing, but ash and dust.

That does it. The mere thought alone makes my knees buckle and I fall onto the ground. So many people are dead. Because of me. I begin to cry, disgusting and heavy cries. I don't register that someone's beside me until I feel his arms wrap around my shoulder. I turn away from the smoke and bury my face in Steve's shoulder. "I hate this damn war." I mutter.

Steve sighs, "Me too Nat. Me too."


	28. Chapter 28

_**From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. **_

_**These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.**_

_**Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.**_

**Chapter 28**

I wake up to the sound of my team cheering and clapping. It makes my head pound and with a groan, I open my eyes. The first face I see is Bruce and he's grinning from ear to ear as he looks a clipboard. My throat is too dry to make a sound so I only continue to stare at him until he notices me.

He does a minute later when he glances at me. "Natasha, you're awake." Bruce's voice catches the attention of the others in the room and they all turn their gaze away from the TV. Everyone is here except for Fury, Tony and Gwen. My mother, Aiden, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Clint, Coulson and Maria.

My mother and Aiden smile happily at me while my team offers some congradulations.

Clint smiles at me, "You did it Nat!" He laughs heartily, "You did it!"

Thor gives me a huge bear hug that leaves me slightly breathless and a smile.

Steve kisses my forehead, "I'm so proud of you." He holds a glass of water without me even asking and I happily drink almost all of it.

With Bruce and Steve's help, I sits up in bed and lean against my headrest. "Not that this isn't flattering," I start, "but what the hell are you guys talking about?"

Coulson laughs, "You're propo was a success! Because of it, we were able to bring what's left of district 1, district 3, 4 and 7."

I smile weakly and blink lethargically, "That's great. How long was I out?"

"Just a day." Steve replies.

"Now all we need is district 2 which will not be easy to get." Maria says, "They are the biggest Capitol supporters and are very loyal."

Steve smiles and kisses my forehead, "I'm sure we can get them and besides, it's not like they pose a threat to us. The Capitol and one district against 11 others, we have the upper advantage."

"Do you want to watch it?" Bruce asks from the side. I shrug, I might as well see the video that has been a great success to our side of the war. Before Coulson can replay the video, Tony barrels in with Gwen in his arms.

"Wait, don't watch it without us!"

Bruce gives Tony a disapproving look, "Gwen is supposed to be resting in her bed."

Tony laughs, "Come on doc, she just wanted to see the video. I'll put her back in bed after this, I promise." He walks over to Bruce and leans Gwen towards him. "Look at that face."

Gwen gives Bruce her best puppy dog face, blinking her eye lashes innocently. "I sorry Mr. Bruce, I wanna see Natasha and the video." She says softly, smiling when she sees the doctor hesitate.

I almost laugh at the way Gwen is playing Bruce, it reminds me a lot of Tony. Bruce looks over at me, "Is it alright if she lays right next to you? I don't want her to be up." I shrug and scoot Steve over to make room for Gwen. Bruce turns back to Tony, "Fine, lay her next to Natasha."

"YAY! Thank you Mr. Bruce!" Gwen kisses Bruce's cheek before Tony walks over to Natasha bed and lays her down. "Hi Natasha." She grins up at me cheekily.

I laugh and ruffle her hair, "Hi sweetheart. How's your leg?"

She points at the cast covering her leg, "Good. Mr. Bruce made it all better. How's your arm?" She peers curiously at the bandage covering arm.

I smile down at her and kiss her forehead, "It feels better."

"Good." Gwen turns away from me and looks at Coulson. "Mr. Coulson, play the video please?!" She asks in her high pitched.

"Of course Gwen." Coulson replays the video and presses play. Maria dims the light.

At first, the screen is black. Then a tiny spark flickers in the center creating a small crack on the screen. From there a small spider with a red line down it's back crawls out. It's not just any spider. Anyone watching can tell it's a black widow. From there the spider enlarges and the deep, resonant voice that haunts my dreams begins to speak. Ceaser Flickerman, the interviewer of the Hunger Games, says "Natasha Romanoff, the widow that bites, continues on!"

Suddenly the video feed begins to shake, the spider standing still throughout the chaos on the screen. A second after the shaking starts, the screen turns black. My voice begins to speak, more like scream. I recognize it from when I was trying to reach Gwen. "NO!" I cringe away the desperation in my voice, but dont have time to dwell on it because the screen comes to life with flames and smoke. I'm not in the shot, but you can tell that I'm there by the deep panting of my breath and the screams. I'm surprised the video feed is holding steady considering how much I was moving and running around. You can clearly identify that I'm inside a burning house. I'm shouting out to Gwen hoping she'll hear my voice. It only lasts a few seconds before the bomb that sent me and Gwen flying onto the ground crashes and the feed dies, but not before I scream. There's silence for a few moments and in these few seconds people have time to believe that I'm dead. That all hope is gone. Cut to after Tony got Gwen and I out. There I am, with Gwen, on the screen looking awful. I can see how badly I was injured from just looking at me. Before I didn't register anything, I couldn't feel anything so I didn't think I was hurt… but I was.

I also look livid when I look at the camera. I begin to speak, "I'm in district 1 where the Capitol has just bombed a town full of unarmed men, women and children. There is only one survivor." My voice doesn't shake like I suspected it to; it's full of determination and power. "If you think for one second that Capitol will ever treat us fairly you are lying to yourself. You know what they are and what they do. This is what they do!" The camera changes swiftly so everyone can see the burning plane right behind me with the Capitol symbol. "I have a message for President Snow…" The camera does a close up on my face and I cringe, shrinking in my chair. I can tell the camera did some special effects to make me not look as awful as I did, but my image still makes me shiver. I'm not the sweet girl that was waving on the chariot before the Hunger Games. I'm the emotionless, angry Black Widow. "You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground," A smile spreads across my face and my hand lashes out to gesture to the plane behind me. "But do you see that? The Black Widow isn't afraid to bite and the Avengers are ready for you. If you assemble your forces, WE ASSEMBLE OURS!"

My images burns away with a fire effect and my father's ring appears on the screen with a black widow engraved inside it. Steve's voice shouts through the speakers, "Avengers Assemble!" before a picture of the six of us appear on the screen in all gear. The bolded letters appear on the screen. "**If you assemble your forces, we assemble ours!**

**Avengers Assemble!**

**Join the Black Widow. **

**Join the Fight!"**

"I look good!" Gwen suddenly shouts in the silence that follows after the video ends. Everyone can't help, but laugh at her.

There's a dull pounding sensation in my head and I cant help, but wince. "Steve help her lay down, she cant be sitting up so soon." Bruce and Steve lower me down onto the bed and immediately the pounding stops.

"How are you feeling Nat?" Steve asks brushing the hair out of my face.

I answer honestly, "A little beat up, but all right."

"Good," Steve smiles down at me before frowning. Uh-oh. I know that look. I brace myself for it. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Sighing, I met his eye, "I was thinking about Gwen and Pepper."

"I told you to stay with Bruce and Fulvia." I glance behind me at Bruce, but he avoids my gaze pretending to be invested in my chart. "And you disobey me."

"Because if I had stayed there, she would've died." I reply gesturing to Gwen who still sits beside watching the argument starting between Steve and I.

"You scared the hell out of me." Steve said. "I thought you were going to die, especially when I saw that house fall down without knowing Tony had gotten to you." He reaches out and grabs my hand tightly in his. "I thought you were dead."

I resist the urge to wince from his death grip on my hand and I only continue to stare at him. I soften my expression and reach out to caress his cheek, "I'm sorry, but I wasn't going to let her die. Not when Pepper did for me. She's only 5 Steve."

Steve sighs and hangs his head for a moment, thinking. "I'm sorry." He leans forward and kisses my forehead. "You just scared me. I thought I lost you. Screw the rebellion, you're important to me and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

I smile at him, "That's sweet for worrying about me, but you don't need to. I can take care of myself. What you need to worry about right now is the team and this war." Steve shakes his head, opening his mouth to protest, but I cut him off with a kiss. "Don't argue with me."

"Fine." He relents sighing. He looks over at Gwen and smiles softly. "I guess you disobeyed me for a good reason." He looks over at Tony, "She's beautiful Tony." Gwen cant help, but blush at the compliment, her eyes never leaving the blonde haired, blue eyed solider.

Tony smiles and ruffles Gwen's hair, "Yeah I guess she is pretty cute."

Gwen giggles and swats Tony's hand away. "Stop it. I no like it when you do that."

Tony laughs, "Come on squirt. Let's take you back to your own room."

Gwen's eyes widen and she shakes her head, suddenly lashing out and attaching herself to me. She wraps her arms around my waist and holds on tight. "No! I don't want to go back. I want to stay with Natasha!"

Sighing, Tony shakes his head."You cant honey, you have to go back to your bed."

Tears spring into Gwen's eyes and she shakes her head again. "No!" She turns to me, her bottom lip gutting out in a pout. "I wanna stay wit' you Natasha. Pease can I stay wit' you!"

She's terrified of sleeping alone, I can tell just by looking at her. I don't want her to go back to her own room either. I look up at Tony, "It's okay, she can stay." I look over at Bruce, "Let her stay." I command sternly, but softening my voice. "Please?"

Bruce looks between Gwen and I and sighs reluctantly, "Fine." He looks over at Steve and points at the two of us. "Just make sure they stay in bed." He looks over at Clint and nods at the archer, "Can you please bring another bed in here for her?"

Gwen sighs in relief and looks up at me, "Thank for letting me stay."

I smile down at her, "Of course, besides I could use the company."

Steve frowns at me and pretends to be hurt, "What about me?"

I give him a look, "The more the merrier."

Bruce gathers everyone's attention, "Not that this isn't fun, but Gwen and Natasha really need to rest."

"Sure doctor," Coulson walks up and pats my shoulder. "See you later; we've got work to do." He says smiling proudly down at me.

Maria and Coulson leave in good moods. Tony follows closely after promising to visit Gwen in the morning. Clint comes in then to drop off the bed before he's shooed away by Bruce. Soon it's just Gwen, Steve and I left the room. Gwen had fallen asleep on my shoulder soon after Tony left, she was exhausted.

"Do you want me to put her in her bed?" Steve asks noticing the sleeping girl beside me.

I shake my head as I continue to run my fingers through her ginger locks. "No, she's fine right here." I'm too caught up in playing with Gwen's hair that I don't notice Steve smiling down at the both of us until I glance up at him. "What?" I ask him smiling.

He shrugs, "Nothing, you're just so good with her."

I raise an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You comforted her when Tony went back to the fight, you carried her when she was hurt, and you're letting her sleep in her bed with you because you know she's scared." Steve lists nudging my shoulder. "You're good with her."

I shrug away his words and look back down at her continuing to run my hand through her hair. "I'm just doing what anyone else would do."

"No, you're doing what any mother would do."

Mother. The word makes me shiver. I tense up immediately making Gwen stir on my shoulder. "Can you put her in her bed please?" I suddenly feel suffocated with her on my body and I want her off.

Steve notices my sudden change of behavior. "Okay," He says cautiously reaching over me and gathering Gwen's small body up in his arms. My chest lightens up immensely once she's in Steve's arms. I watch as he carefully cradles her and takes her to her bed, resulting to rocking her when she begins to wake up. A smile finds its way on my face as I watch him handle her.

Suddenly it's not Gwen in Steve's arms anymore; it's an even smaller girl with red hair and blue eyes. She has Steve's smile and my nose as she sleep happily in his arms. Steve would make a good father.

Woah… where did that thought come from? I shake my head and find Steve making his way back to me after placing Gwen down. He raises an eyebrow when he takes his seat on the chair beside the bed. "What was that?"

I shrug and defensively cross my arms over my chest. "What was what?"

"You know what I'm talking about," He laughs. "You froze up after I told you how great you were doing with her." Sighing, I look down and avoid answering his question. I take great interest in the hospital bed spread. "Nat?" Steve calls. I don't answer him. He places a finger under my chin and lifts my head forcing me to make eye contact with her. When he sees the tears in my eyes, he gets concerned. "Hey," Standing, he scoots me over on the bed and climbs on next to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulder. "What's wrong? Did I upset you? I'm so-"

I cut him off before he can finish his apology; he has nothing to apologize for. "No, you didn't do anything." I sniffle and run a hand under my nose to catch falling tears.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because," I sigh and turn my body to face, ignoring the pain in my arm and leg. "You called me a mother. I don't want to be someone's mother, I don't even want to act like one."

"Why not? What's wrong with having maternal instincts?" Steve rubs a hand up and down my arm for comfort.

"Nothing, I just… I never saw myself becoming a mother. I never wanted kids because of the games. I was scared of losing them to the games and to Snow." I look over at Gwen before meeting Steve's eyes again. "And then I met Gwen."

"So what are you saying?" Steve leans forward to get a better view of my face, hidden behind my hair. "You want kids?"

I shake my head and shrug him off, turning to face the other way. "I don't know what I want. I'm so confused."

"Then talk to me," Steve tugs on my arm and turns me back around so I can face him. "I want to help you, but I need to understand first."

"I don't know what I want because I'm so confused about everything. Brayden, Aiden, Gwen, this team, kids, marriage. This war and President Snow isn't helping me." I admit, my shoulders sagging in defeat. "I just want this over so I don't have to be so confused anymore. Maybe when this is all over, I'll have an answer about the kid question. I just can't think about that right now because the only thing I can focus on right now, every day, every waking moment since the reaping is how afraid I am."

Steve caresses my cheek, moving my hair out of my face. He brings his face closer to mine to the point where I can feel his breath on my cheek. "There is nothing to be afraid about."

I laugh dryly and shrug out of his grip. "There's everything to be afraid of. People are dying because of me, people I know and don't know. What if my family is one of those people sacrificing themselves for me? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Aiden died, Steve." Tears spring into my eyes and I'm desperately grabbing onto Steve's hand for something to ground me, to keep me sane. I look up at him and shake my head rapidly, the thought of my brother dying making me break down. My sweet innocent little brother, just another corpse, fifty feet into the ground. Just like Peggy.

"Natasha," Steve grabs onto my shoulders and shakes softly to snap me out of the dark thoughts that threaten to plague my mind. "Don't think like that. You're not going to lose Aiden. He's going to be just fine."

I'm beginning to make those awful choking sounds that I always do when I begin to get hysterical. "Y-you cant… promise… that! How d-do you… know!?" I scream at him, leaning into his body and curling into myself. My brother cant die. He cant die.

"Aiden won't die because I won't let that happen." He leans his head against my forehead and strokes my hair softly, shushing me as a means of comfort. I continue to sob, burying my face into his neck, and clinging for dear life on the collar of his shirt. "Ssh, I'll see to it. I promise."

Slowly my sobs calm down and I just lay there listening to the sound of Steve's deep voice. I don't reply, I don't register exactly what he's saying, but I do know he's speaking. His deep voice begins to lull me to sleep. Soon enough I can barely keep my eyes open. I gather enough energy to pick my head up sleepily. Steve looks down the minute I move and I take advantage of his head being tilted downward. Using my right hand, I place it behind his neck and bring his head down to plant a soft kiss on his plump, pink lips. "I love you." I whisper.

Steve smiles and brushes the hair off my forehead. "I love you too, my love. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." He says softly, guiding my head to rest on his chest where I can hear his heart beating in his chest.

I smile because this is exactly what I needed. I needed to hear his heartbeat. I need to feel his breathing. I almost died yesterday and we were almost separated. I don't think I would've been able to sleep if Bruce hadn't allowed Steve to stay. He's my savior and I need him more than ever right now. Thankfully he's here with me. To prove it, just before I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, he leans down and kisses my forehead.

"I love you Natasha."

I'm too far under to reply, but he knows how much I love him.


End file.
